The Wedding Bells
by Emerald Alchemist
Summary: Not your typical fanfiction! Will everything go as planned? Read and Review! COMPLETED! After your finished, go read the sequel: The Honeymoon!
1. His Perfect Plan

**Chapter 1: His Perfect Plan**

The night air was calm and soothing as it blew into the bedroom. The soft twilight slid through the crack in the curtains and lit up the chestnut floorboards.

Athrun sat on the balcony. He stared up at the moon, which wasn't quite full yet, but close. He lightly sipped his red wine. Tonight was going to be perfect. He had everything planned accordingly.

First, he would appear at Cagalli's balcony courtesy of a ladder, play the song on the violin he had written for her, take her to the foyer where a fire would burn in the large fireplace, a small table and two chairs would be in the center of the room, the candlelight glowing, the champagne fizzing in the crystal glasses...and lastly, he would ask her to be his.

He pulled the ring out of his coat pocket and moved it around strategically on his finger. It was silver with a somewhat large emerald in the middle. He inhaled slowly, then exhaled as a way of reassuring himself that everything would be all right, everything would go as planned. He put the ring back in the little black box it came in and, with a loving pat, put it back in his pocket.

The grandfather clock bells rang. Midnight. Athrun took his violin out of the case, grabbed his bow, and ran down the steps.

As he reached the front lawn, he placed the ladder against the house, and began climbing. He made sure not to make too much noise as not to wake anyone, especially the dogs next door. He didn't want to make his attendance known, he wanted this to be a surprise, a special surprise that Cagalli would never forget.

He perched himself on the edge of Cagalli's balcony, put his violin at the ready, breathed a few times, and began playing.

The soft music slid through the calm night air, and through Cagalli's open window. She and Lacus were inside. Their talking seized as the beautiful music poured into their ears. They looked at each other, confusion in their eyes, yet anticipation in their expressions. They ran over to the balcony.

Athrun's fingers moved strategically on the chords as the music played. Cagalli's jaw dropped as she watched him play. Lacus smiled behind her.

"A-Athrun?" she asked, a light pink blush across her cheeks. Athrun smiled as he stopped. He held his hand out to her.

"Come with me," he whispered. He kissed her hand lightly. Cagalli shot Lacus a look, but Lacus smiled and motioned for her to leave. It was as if she was saying, _go with him…"_

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	2. The Proposal

**Chapter 2: The Proposal**

"Athrun?" asked Cagalli. She sounded somewhat annoyed. "Where are you taking me?"

"Shhh..." said Athrun as he lead her with his footsteps. His hands shielded her eyes from the surprise perfection of the foyer. A thin smile slid across his lips. _"This is going to be perfect..."_

"Okay..." he whispered. He removed his hands from her eyes. Cagalli's jaw dropped open.

"It's..." she paused. "Amazing."

That was the only word that came into her mind, and it was, in fact, nothing short of amazing. The fire crackled brightly, the red embers floated into the air. The table was decorated beautifully in different shades of red. It had a deep crimson table cloth, bright vermillion roses in the center, and six cherry red candles lit to perfection. Their orange flames danced brightly on top. The two crystal glasses were filled with fizzing champagne. Perfect, just as Athrun had planned.

Athrun pulled out Cagalli's chair for her. "Please, sit." She nodded and sat herself down. Athrun smiled and pulled out his own chair.

"Athrun, I don't get the meaning of all this," said Cagalli. "Why would you waste all this time just to do this...for me?" She was clearly puzzled as she looked around at all the beautiful things, yet she also seemed annoyed with him. Her confused and annoyed expression was cute to Athrun. He smiled again, and kneeled like a knight before her.

"I did this..." said Athrun sweetly. He kissed the top of her hand gently. "Because I love you, Cagalli, and..." he paused and fished around in his back pocket for the little black box he had put the ring in awhile earlier.

_ "This is it..." _he thought, his heart pounding. "I wanted to know if-?"

"Hey, Athrun, did you ask Cagalli the big question yet?" It was Kira. He placed his coat on the rack. "You know...to marry you?"

"Great..." growled Athrun through clenched teeth. Kira looked up from the floor.

"Oh..." said Kira. He smiled sheepishly. "Oops. I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"Yes..."

"I'm sorry..." Kira apologized. "Continue."

"As I was saying," said Athrun as he returned to Cagalli. He pulled the emerald ring out of it's box. "You mean the world and more to me. Even when you're the spitfire, hot tempered, Cagalli..."

Cagalli wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult, but she kept quiet. Kira swallowed hard. He wondered if Athrun had said too much. Cagalli did get offended easily...

"Will you marry me?"

All was quiet. Kira bit his lip. Athrun stood still. A bead of sweat dripped down his cheek and onto the floor. Lacus watched from the hallway, her fingers crossed. Cagalli remained silent. Everyone watched...and waited.

The bells on the grandfather clock tolled. It was one o'clock in the morning. Cagalli held out her left hand and let Athrun slip the ring onto her slender finger. Everyone silently cheered as Athrun and Cagalli smiled at each other. Even though no words were used...it was her way or saying yes.

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	3. Wedding Plans

**Chapter 3: Wedding Plans**

"I think this will be everything we'll need for the wedding..." said Cagalli. She handed Lacus her notebook. Lacus's blue-gray eyes quickly skimmed the list, which held about four or five items. Lacus grinned widely.

"Let me show you _my_ list..."

Cagalli's jaw dropped as Lacus pulled out a sheaf of papers, that, if bound together, would probably be as long as the bible.

"We don't really need all of that, do we?" she gasped, her amber eyes wide. "Isn't it just going to be a little wedding?"

"Oh, dear no," smiled Lacus. "It has to at least be...medium sized." Cagalli stared at her friend as she sunk into the chair.

"What's your definition of medium?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, a couple hundred people," answered Lacus happily.

"Shit..." the reluctant bride muttered.

The door cracked open. Stellar and Meer poked their heads in. "Are we starting wedding plans?" they asked with excitement.

"We...?" Cagalli repeated. She shot Lacus a look. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"We certainly are!" said Lacus. Her bright eyes glimmered in the light. She smiled as she gently pushed Meer and Stellar through the doorway. "We still need to find Cagalli a wedding dress!"

Cagalli folded her arms over her chest and let her legs dangle over the side of the chair. "It's July, Lacus. The wedding isn't until December. I assure you, we have plenty of time..."

"No, we don't," said Lacus. "You see, right now, all the dresses that are made for winter weddings are on sale. You can get a great one right now!"

"Let's go today!" crowed an excited Meer.

"Please?" pleaded Stellar, her hands folded. Cagalli opened her mouth to say something, but Lacus started.

"Definitely!" she said. "We can look for bridesmaid dresses too, while we're at it..." she paused and looked to her friend. "Have you decided who you want yet, Cagalli?"

She nodded, her shaggy blonde hair wispy around her face. "You of course," she said. "Stellar, Miriallia, and Meer..." she paused and tapped her finger lightly on her chin. "And...maybe even that Flay girl..."

"Flay?" Lacus almost choked. She breathed a few times to regain her usual polite and kind nature. "I...didn't know you two were friends..."

"I can't say that we are," said Cagalli. "But oh well, we'll see what happens..."

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	4. An Eventful Day of Dress Shopping

**Chapter 4: An Eventful Day of Dress Shopping**

Cagalli stared wide-eyed at the large racks of elegant white dresses. "And..." she paused, awestruck. "I have to pick one of these?" She gently touched one with her fingertip, winced, then turned to Lacus. "Can't I just wear pants?"

Lacus giggled at her best friend's remark. "Of course not, silly. It's your wedding, you want to look pretty, don't you?" Cagalli said nothing.

"It won't be too hard finding a dress," Stellar reassured her. She patted Cagalli gently on the back.

"Too hard?" Cagalli repeated. Her eyes were sharp as daggers. "Too hard? This will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack!"

"That's why I'm here to help you."

A somewhat curvaceous brunette stepped out from behind the racks. She looked very professional in her pencil skirt and white, button-up blouse. Her half moon spectacles sat at the end of her nose.

"Cagalli, this is Autumn," introduced Lacus with a smile. "She's here to help you."

"I can't believe this," said Cagalli. She shook her head.

Autumn laughed softly. "Overwhelmed?" she asked.

"By what?" asked Cagalli. She placed her hands on her hips. "Do you mean by all the frilly dresses or my best friend?"

"I see," smiled Autumn. "Girls?" She pointed at Stellar, Meer and Lacus. "Would you like to look for bridesmaid dresses while I help this young lady?"

"Definitely!" beamed Meer. Lacus tapped Cagalli on the shoulder as she was leaving.

"Good luck," she whispered in her ear.

"I'll need it..." Cagalli whispered back. Meer, Lacus, and Stellar left the room.

"So," said Autumn as she picked up a clipboard. "What kind of wedding gown do you think you're looking for?"

Cagalli blinked a few times. "I don't really know..." she answered. "I'd prefer wearing pants...do you have any of those?"

Autumn laughed. "Only if you want to wear a tuxedo, darling," she said. "Now what size are you?"

"Maybe an 8...?" answered Cagalli, her arms folded tightly over her chest.

Autumn tapped her index finger against her chin a few times, then smiled. "I think I have a few ideas. I'll be right back."

The first dress was an absolute no-go. It was designed to be a low, strapless gown with a tight bodice and a long, full flowing skirt.

"It's strapless..." complained Cagalli. She was constantly pulling the dress up, though it wasn't exactly falling down. "I don't think this will work..."

"I think it overshadows you a little..." said Autumn. "Okay, you can take that off now. I have another one."

The dress Autumn returned with was slightly better than the first. "It's okay, I guess..." said Cagalli, smoothing out the skirt with her fingers. It was a plain, straight, long, white dress.

Autumn made a rueful face. "No offense to you, but I think it's horrid..." she said, shielding her eyes. "It looks like an oversized T-shirt! Take it off!"

Cagalli took one last glance in the mirror before slipping the dress over her head. "Do you have anything else?" she asked. She was desperately hoping that a 'no' would come out of Autumn's lips. Then maybe she could wear pants...

"Yes, we do!" smiled Autumn. She turned on her heel and ran to the back room.

"Damn..." murmured Cagalli.

Several hours later, Cagalli collapsed into a chair, her blonde hair a mess and her clothes rumpled. "I'll never find a wedding dress that's right for me!"

"Don't worry," said Autumn. She felt somewhat sorry for the tomboy in front of her. She placed her hands on Cagalli's shoulders. "There's a dress in the back. It would be a little big, but if it were altered, I think that it would be absolutely perfect for you!"

As soon as the dress slipped over her head, Cagalli knew it was the one. The dress was a brilliant snow color, with a neckline that scooped just low enough to show her shoulders. The front was designed like a corset with emerald ribbons that tied up the front and down the back. It had a full, but not too full, flowing skirt.

"It's perfect..."

"Great!" smiled Autumn. "Go put your clothes back on, and I'll take care of it for you!"

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	5. Save It For The Wedding Day

**Chapter 5: Save It For The Wedding Day**

"We were at that store for four damn hours, and we didn't find a dress!" moaned Meer as she collapsed onto the sofa. "This is hopeless!"

"Well, at least Cagalli did," Lacus reminded her kindly.

"Yeah, but I wanted to find a _gorgeous_ bridesmaid dress!" wailed Meer. She strongly emphasized the word 'gorgeous'. "We can't possibly find a single thing that looks good on all five of us, with all our different hair colors, heights and body types!"

Cagalli cleared her throat. "If you're done bemoaning your awful fate, I have something to show you." She handed the girls a small sketchbook. "I was wondering if you guys wouldn't mind if I made the bridesmaid dresses."

"You?" they said in unison. Cagalli glanced down to her feet. _"I didn't think this would be such a big surprise..."_ thought Cagalli.

"I used to make my own clothes when I was with the Desert Dawn," she explained. "Sewing is easy for me I guess..."

"Cagalli, these are absolutely beautiful!" breathed Stellar.

"They'd be a soft pink in color," said Cagalli, blushing softly at the unexpected praise. "The fabric would be satin with a tight bodice and dark rose lace over it."

"They're perfect!" declared Meer, Lacus, and Stellar.

"What's so perfect, my bride?" asked Athrun. He snuck up behind Cagalli and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

"Athrun!" she squealed in shock. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to hug you," explained Athrun. "See, it works like this. You put your arms around the other person-"

"I know what it is..." she replied. Her cheeks began to turn rosy from embarrassment. The girls giggled softly, but Cagalli's quick glare made them stop.

"We're going to leave you two alone now," smiled Lacus. "Thanks for the dresses, Cagalli."

"Have fun," said Stellar. Meer winked as she closed the door behind them when they exited.

Athrun tugged Cagalli over to the small window seat. "Can we talk for a second?" he asked. Cagalli's amber eyes widened.

"Is this bad?" she asked. Athrun laughed softly.

"No, no, of course not..." he reassured her. He took her small hand into his own. "You don't exactly seem like the kind of girl to be comfortable with hugging and kissing and stuff..."

"Oh," said Cagalli, turning away. He smiled and tipped her chin up so she had to look at him.

"How about we share our first kiss on our wedding day?"

Cagalli smiled slightly. "All right..."

"Until then..." said Athrun. "I'll content myself with this." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Is that all right?"

"Perfect," she replied.

**Author's Note**: I'm aware that Cagalli and Athrun have already kissed more than once, but I thought it'd be cute if they had their first kiss on their wedding day Anyways...next chapter is dance lessons for Athrun and Cagalli! Read and Review! Also, if you have any ideas for 'pre-wedding activities' such as bachelor/bachelorette parties that could happen, tell me and I might use them, ok? More chaos shall ensue!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	6. Shall We Dance?

**Chapter 6: Shall We Dance?**

"Lacus, no!" whined Cagalli. She crossed her arms over her chest in a pout. "Please, no! I'll do anything! Anything but that!"

Lacus smiled kindly and regarded the panicked couple sweetly. "You two have to go..." she insisted. "An important part of the wedding is the first dance."

"Yeah," said Meer. She glanced at Cagalli, then her gaze moved to Athrun. "And by the looks of it, neither of you can dance!" Cagalli shot her a sharp stare, but Meer smiled sweetly.

"M-maybe we can have the first training session instead!" suggested Athrun, a little taken aback by the girls.

"No, Athrun," said Stellar.

"You and Cagalli will be at dance class this afternoon," said Lacus.

Meer smiled. "Even if it kills you."

"But we-um...we don't have anything to wear!" blurted Cagalli. By now, she was desperate. She had to find some excuse that would get her out of going.

"Go look in your rooms," said Lacus. She pointed down the hallway. "We'd already guessed that you'd use that excuse." Cagalli groaned. Stellar laughed softly at Cagalli's uttermost disapproval.

Despite their best protests, the reluctant couple was at the dance studio at five o'clock sharp. There were about five or six other couples there, enough for Cagalli and Athrun to blend in casually.

"Athrun, you're staring at me!" hissed Cagalli. Her cheeks were covered in a soft pink blush. "What's wrong with you?"

"You never struck me as the 'cute' type," smiled Athrun. "I don't see you dressed up like this often. I like it."

Cagalli was wearing a crimson, mid-calf length pencil skirt (she refused to wear anything shorter), and a short sleeved red blouse. Her shaggy blonde hair was held out of her eyes with a bright red ribbon.

"You look different yourself," said Cagalli, looking to her feet. "But I'm not staring at you!"

Athrun shrugged. He looked down at his outfit. He was wearing beige khakis and a red silk button-down shirt. It wasn't that different.

"But you like it, don't you?" Athrun teased.

"I'm not saying anything..." said Cagalli. She still refused to lift her eyes from the floor tiles. A grin slipped across Athrun's lips.

"Let's watch in amazement as her face turns red," said Athrun as he placed his finger underneath her chin. Her gaze rose up to meet his. "What are you thinking about, Mrs. Zala?"

Cagalli glared, though her cheeks were still bright red. "I'm thinking of stepping on your foot, and in these shoes, that would be lethal!" Athrun laughed softly. As he leaned over her shoulder to tease her more, the instructor interrupted.

"All right everyone! We're going to start! Get a partner!"

Immediately, a bright eyed young man leaped in front of Cagalli and took her hand. "Will you be my partner?" Before she had time to respond, he whisked her off.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Listen here, I don't wanna be-!" she was interrupted by Athrun, who tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, that's my fiancée," he smiled politely. "Can I please have her back now?"

"Oh, sure, sorry," the young man blushed and ran off to find another girl.

"Stupid jerk..." mumbled Cagalli as she watched the boy leave. The instructor waved his arms for silence.

"We're going to start with easy waltzing. Believe me, this isn't very hard. Guys, you take the lead."

"I think you're in the wrong position Cagalli," said Athrun. "You can stand a little closer." He smiled. "I don't have cooties, I promise." He took Cagalli's hand and held it gently. He slid his other arm around her waist.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, somewhat panic-stricken.

"Put your hand on my shoulder," he whispered back. Athrun thought it was cute that Cagalli was so afraid of a simple dance, yet not afraid to wield a gun on a battlefield.

The soft, pretty waltz music began. Athrun kept his gaze on the instructor to figure out where to move. It didn't take long for him to lapse into pattern. Cagalli, however, was a different story. She was having a very diffuclt time trying not to step all over Athrun's feet or fall down.

"Cagalli, just trust me," whispered Athrun. "Let me be the one in control. I'll keep you from making a fool of yourself, I promise."

"Too late..." said Cagalli, biting her lip. Her hand kept a tight grip on his shoulder.

"You're just approaching it all wrong..." said Athrun. "You're too uptight. You have to relax. Don't think about the steps, just lean into me and follow what I do."

Cagalli's grip relaxed, and her steps began to flow with Athrun's. But she still wouldn't look up into his eyes. Athrun grinned fiendishly and drew his arm tighter around her waist. Cagalli couldn't do anything but look up.

"Hi Cagalli," he smiled. "You're playing shy again..."

"I'm not playing..." she answered.

"Why are you so shy with me?" he asked. "You aren't shy in front of anyone else, that's for sure..." He took a step forward and Cagalli stepped back.

"I don't know..." she shrugged. "It's nothing..."

Athrun took another step forward. "Cagalli, tell me..."

"I guess I'm just amazed...everything's so different..." she answered. "When we first met, you thought I was a boy and tried to kill me. You were engaged to Lacus, now Kira and Lacus are together, and you and I are engaged, and getting ready for our wedding, and..."

"You're afraid of all this changing..." Athrun finished gently so Cagalli wouldn't have to ramble on. She nodded and rested her forehead against his shoulder. "You don't have to be scared. I mean, I'm nervous too, but it's nothing we can't pull through..." he paused. "We'll be fine."

"No..." said Cagalli. She stopped dancing. "Everyone's staring at us." Apparently, the music had stopped a while ago, but Athrun and Cagalli were still dancing.

"Oh," said Athrun, loosening his grip on her. The instructor grinned at them.

"You two are engaged, aren't you?" he asked. "I can tell from a mile away."

**Author's Note**: Thanks for all the great reviews! I hope you guys liked this chapter, it was really hard to write. Thank you to AsuCaga Freak for the great ideas! I really like the food tasting one, and I hope I can put it into play later. Read and Review! Next chapter up soon!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	7. Goodbye For Now

**Chapter 7: Goodbye For Now**

Athrun lay quietly in the darkness of his room. The dim October sunlight shined through the window and onto the floorboards.

"Goodbye, Athrun...I'll see you in two months..."

"What? Goodbye? Two months?" asked Athrun. Cagalli blinked a few times. In her hands, she held a small leather suitcase.

"Of course," she answered. "Didn't Kira tell you?" Athrun looked at his bride to be in disbelief.

"No, he didn't say a single word!" exclaimed Athrun. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "What's going on?"

"Lacus said it would be best if we were apart for a little while before the wedding..." explained Cagalli. "You're going to stay here with Kira and get the house ready for us to live as, well, you know..." she paused. "A real couple."

"It's going to be hard," said Athrun. He smiled softly as he squeezed her shoulders gently. "I'm really going to miss you..."

"Well, I'm going to miss my train..." said Cagalli . She pulled away from him. "I'll see you in two months, Athrun..."

"Bye, Cagalli..." said Athrun forlornly. Suddenly, she dropped her suitcase to the floor and ran into his embrace. She tossed her arms around his neck. Athrun hugged her so tightly he lifted her off the ground. Her blonde hair tickled his fingers.

"I'll miss you, too," whispered Cagalli. Athrun tightened his grip.

"I know you will, doll..." he said. He set her gently on the ground. "Now you're really going to miss your train..."

She smiled, a little at that, and picked up her suitcase again. Her little emerald ring flashed in the sunlight as she closed the door behind her.

**Author's Note**: Yes I know, very short chapter. I just thought it would be fun to have Cagalli, Meer, Stellar, and Lacus all in one house together before the wedding. Next chapter will be shopping for clothes for the honeymoon! Read and Review!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	8. Another Eventful Shopping Day

**Chapter 8: Another Eventful Shopping Day**

"This is for your own good, Cagalli," said Lacus. Stellar and Meer hefted her suitcases and dumped all their contents onto the floor.

"Hey! I need that stuff!" Cagalli protested. "Put my clothes back! Or I'll, I'll-?"

"You'll what?" smiled Meer. Stellar held Cagalli back with her hand.

"Ah-ah-ah, it's ours to sort through now," said Lacus. "Cagalli, as your friends, you can trust us to sort through these things properly." Stellar nodded as she rummaged through the filled suitcase.

"Cagalli, do you even own a single skirt?" asked Stellar, hefting through Cagalli's cargo pants and uniforms. Cagalli was quiet for a moment.

"She has a dress or two," said Lacus. "But she doesn't like them too much..."

"Only in front of Athrun," said Meer with an impish smile. Cagalli's face turned pink as she clenched her fists.

"I found one!" exclaimed Stellar, pulling out a small, pink, red, and white flowered kimono large enough to fit an eleven year old girl. Cagalli's eyes grew wide.  
She quickly snatched it from Stellar.

"Give me that!" she growled. "That's way too small now! I've grown a lot since then!"

"I can see that!" said Meer, holding up one of Cagalli's bras.

"Meer!" Cagalli gasped. "Put that down!"

"Make me!" mouthed Meer as she stuck her tongue out. She opened the window and tossed it outside. Cagalli's jaw dropped as she saw her bra fall to the ground. She growled.

"That thing is old," explained Lacus, trying not to be rude. "You need new clothes." Cagalli plunked down into a sulk.

"Fine. Be that way," groused Cagalli. "I'm keeping my pants."

"Too much of a good thing is a bad thing," Stellar reminded her. "You need some..." she paused, trying to choose her words carefully. She was aware of Cagalli's temper. "Variety in your attire."

"Says you!" retorted Cagalli. "I have tons of variety!"

"Ooh, cargo pants, red shirts, green vests, and your uniform..." mocked Meer. "Sounds like a boy's closet to me..."

"Whatever..." said Cagalli. She folded her arms smugly. "I, quite frankly, don't value your opinions, Meer."

"I know," replied Meer with a grin. "Which is why I'm doing whatever I want." Suddenly, a voice startled the girls from outside.

"Hey, Takashi! Look what I found!"

"I guess those things really do grow on trees!"

"Can I keep it?"

"It's huge!" The four girls ran over to the window and poked their heads outside. There were two boys, probably no older than twelve, running around with the item of clothing Meer had thrown out moments earlier.

"It's hers!" Cagalli shouted as she pointed to Meer.

"Wow!" The boys gawked at the bra, and then looked back to Meer. Meer growled at Cagalli.

"I'm going to make you pay for this, Cagalli Yula Athha," snarled Meer. Cagalli faked a curtsey. Stellar smiled at the feuding girls.

"Okay, this is our list," said Lacus. She shoved the piece of paper into Cagalli's reluctant hands. "We're going to buy at least one of everything on this list.

"There's too many things..." said Cagalli flatly. She handed it back to Lacus. "I refuse." Meer smiled and grabbed Cagalli by the wrists as Lacus got behind her and pushed.

"Too bad, so sad, cry us a river, build us a bridge and get over it!" chorused Meer, Lacus and Stellar.

The shopping trip was eventful, to say the least. Cagalli was forced to try on more clothes than she had ever tried on in her life. They were down to the last item...the infamous swimsuit.

"Cagalli, you have to buy one!" cried Meer. "You and Athrun are going to go on a honeymoon, and he'll need to see you in a swimsuit!"

"I have a swimsuit, and it'll do quite well, thank you very much," said Cagalli, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's black..." said Stellar.

"It's one piece..." said Meer.

"So?" said Cagalli smugly. "I like it. It's very classic and basic!"

"You need colors and variety, Cagalli" said Lacus.

"You used that argument already. That's how I ended up with a bright yellow tank top, a pale blue skirt, a pair of green sneakers, and that one extremely orange sundress..."

"You like that sundress, and you know it!" said Lacus with a smile.

"True..." admitted Cagalli. "But I'm not going to like these bathing suits."

"Just try one on!" pleaded Meer. "Like this one!" Cagalli's jaw dropped.

"I'm not wearing a bikini," she said flatly. "Never, never, never!"

"Athrun wouldn't mind it..." said Stellar with a grin.

"I would!" snapped Cagalli. "I'm never going out in public dressed like that!"

"Who said anything about public?" said Meer slyly. Ears burning, Cagalli grabbed the pile of swimsuits her friends had chosen for her.

"Fine, I'll try them on..." said Cagalli. "But I'm not promising anything!"

While Cagalli was in the dressing room, Meer riffled through the racks of swimsuits.

"Perfect!" she said, pulling out an emerald green bikini. She knew that Cagalli wouldn't like it. It showed too much skin in her opinion, but Meer didn't care.

"Come on Lacus and Stellar," said Meer with a grin. "We're going to buy this, and hide it in Cagalli's suitcase when she leaves on her honeymoon! It'll be the ultimate joke!"

By the time Cagalli came out with the batik tankini she had chosen, the secret present had been safely hidden. The bride to be didn't suspect a thing.

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much for all the great and positive reviews! It means a lot and it really helps me keep writing. Reviews are like a box of chocolates, you need more to keep you going. Read and Review!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	9. Sibling Moment

**Chapter 9: Sibling Moment**

"So we have the logistics," said Cagalli. "Most of them, at least."

"Let's see," said Lacus as she picked up the notebook. "Murrue and La Flaga are officiating, Stellar, Meer, Miriallia, Flay..." she made a brief pause, then continued. "And I are bridesmaids, Kira, Dearka, Nicol, Sai and Shinn are the best men..." She glanced up. "Cagalli, who's going to give you away?"

Cagalli rested her chin on her knees. "I don't know," she said softly "Both of my parents are dead..." She looked up at them, her amber eyes soft and sad. "Well, all I know is that my real parents 'cared' enough to give me up and have me adopted. Technically, they've already given me away."

Lacus put her arm around her. "We'll find someone," she promised. "I know we will."

"It's really the only thing I'm worried about dealing with my wedding..." said Cagalli.

Someone knocked on her door. Meer rolled over onto her stomach and set down the magazine she was flipping through.

"Come in," she called. Kira walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Oh, hello Kira!" beamed Lacus. She ran into his embrace. He caught her with one arm and smiled.

"Hello, Lacus," he smiled. He kissed her forehead, set her back on her feet, and sat on the edge of Cagalli's bed. "So, how's my sister doing weeks before the wedding?" He smiled warmly down at her. "Is everything going as planned?"

"I guess…" answered Cagalli. She noticed Kira was hiding something behind his back. She sat up and tried to look. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" asked Kira. He held out a small pasteboard box. "This is a box of some things that were saved from when we were toddlers...I thought you might want it..."

Cagalli took the box into her hands reverently. "Thank you, Kira."

Kira patted Cagalli's cheek in a mother like fashion, and, to his surprise, she didn't get mad. "Your welcome." He stood up.

"Well, I'm gonna get going," said Kira, stretching his arms. "See you later."

"Bye!" the girls chorused. The door clicked closed.

Cagalli lifted the lid carefully. The contents of the box were layered with tissue paper. Beneath the first layer was a small green-and-white checkerboard dress, well-worn and faded. She slowly spun one of the plastic pearl buttons around with her fingertip. The dress had been handmade. It was so old, yet so familiar. She placed it back in the box as she choked back tears.

Under the dress was a tiny, delicately embroidered red kimono. Cagalli gasped. It was perfect in every minute detail, from the silky obi to the embroidery along the hem to the pale pink collar. She remembered wearing it to the Ichigosan festival years ago. She touched the silky fabric against her cheek for a moment, and reluctantly set it back down.

The box held a few more little surprises- a battered dark emerald baby blanket, a teddy bear that was missing an eye, a torn picture book, and a picture of her and Kira in their mother's arms at birth.

Last of all, there was a little pair of scuffed Mary Jane's. They were old and battered. Cagalli grinned. They were so small, she could barely fit three fingers in them. She frowned. Something was hidden inside the left shoe. She dug inside and pulled out a locket on a thin gold chain. The locket itself was simple, with just a little red gem on the front.

The inside of it, though, to her discontent, was empty. Completely empty. A little disappointed, Cagalli leaned back against the wall and regarded it. At long last, she smiled and fastened it around her neck.

"Cagalli, these dresses are gorgeous!" gushed Meer. She spun around to make the skirt of the pink dress flare.

"I'm glad you approve," said Cagalli as she turned her head a little.

Lacus turned her back around. "Hold still, dear, or you're going to get a handful of pins in your skin," she scolded lightly.

"That's such a pretty wedding dress, Cagalli," said Stellar, a little wistful.

"It's a pretty unusual choice, I think," said Meer. "You've never struck me as a 'cute' kind of person..." she paused for a moment as if waiting for a smart remark, but Cagalli remained silent. She continued. "But that's a really cute dress and you look good in it."

Cagalli smoothed an imaginary wrinkle out of the flowing skirt. "To be honest, I was a little wary when I saw it," she said. "I don't exactly like dresses. I was serious about wearing pants, you know..." The girls laughed.

"I wish I knew about my parents' wedding...my real parents..." sighed Cagalli. She regarded herself wistfully in the mirror and placed a finger on the gold locket. "I wonder what my real mother looked like in a wedding dress..." Without warning, her vision started to cloud.

Lacus stopped sliding pins into the hem of her friend's wedding gown and put her hands on the little bride's shoulders. "Don't cry," she said softly as she smoothed Cagalli's rebellious blonde hair. "I'm sure your real mother and father will be watching you on your wedding day." Cagalli nodded, unable to speak. "Besides, we're your family now..." Cagalli smiled at her friend.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"And now, we have to finish pinning this up, or people will wonder why a tent is in the middle of the wedding!"

**Author's Note**: Another chapter finished! Thanks to everyone for their reviews, I really appreciate them, they're really motivating! Anyways, I know that a few characters in this story are dead, such as Nicol and Flay, but they make good fillers, so I'm using them. Next chapter...Athrun's back! Oh yes, and I'll be brining Flay into the story in about 2 chapters, so read and review!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	10. A Date

**Chapter 10: A Date **

"She's been sitting there like that for the past hour," whispered Lacus as she pointed to Cagalli. Cagalli was sitting on the porch railing as she stared blankly at the long road in front of the house. She was dressed back in her usual clothes, her dark red shirt and cargo pants. "Waiting for the boys to come..."

"She's probably aware of how much time has passed..." said Stellar.

"Not at all. Watch this," smirked Meer. "Hey, Cagalli."

The blonde didn't turn around from her stiff position. "Hmm?"

"There's been an accident," explained Meer as serious as she possibly could. "Your wedding dress was, well, kind of..." she paused and tapped her slender finger against her chin. "Stolen by wild monkeys!"

"Okay."

Lacus, Meer, and Stellar tried hard to swallow their giggles.

"Hey, Cagalli, Flay can't be a bridesmaid, so we're going to have Dearka fill in. He's coming tomorrow to be fitted for his rose lace dress."

"Okay."

Lacus and Stellar had lost it by then. Meer managed to eke out one more between laughs. "Hey, Cagalli, your brother wants to throw a bachlorette party for you. He said he'd dress like a girl and everything for it!"

"Okay."

"She's gone!" laughed Stellar. "Absolutely gone!"

Suddenly, Cagalli dashed quickly from the porch. Her shaggy blonde hair followed her with the breeze.

"You said it!" giggled Lacus. She looked up to see the big black sports car pull in to the once empty driveway. "Oh, I guess Athrun and the guys are here."

Athrun was three-fourths of the way down the driveway when he saw her. "Athrun!" called Cagalli as she bolted towards him. Her amber eyes sparkled in the noonday sun. Athrun dropped his backpack to make room for the little blonde girl who hurtled into his embrace. Dearka whistled.

Athrun kissed Cagalli on the forehead. "You really did miss me, didn't you?" he laughed. "It's good to see you." He picked up his backpack again. "Come on. I'm starving!"

When they reached the house, Cagalli noticed Meer, Lacus and Stellar. She scowled. "What was that about my wedding dress being stolen by wild monkeys? And a bachlorette party?" Her scowl deepened. "AND DEARKA WEARING A LACE DRESS?"

"She was listening!" Lacus yelped. Meer grabbed Stellar and Lacus's arms. "Run!"

Athrun, Kira, Nicol, Shinn and Dearka stood, dumbfounded.

"What was that about Dearka wearing lace?" Kira asked. He raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't agree to that!" said Dearka.

"I don't want to know," said Athrun, his emerald eyes wide.

The entire house was filled with people- Athrun, Cagalli, Kira, Dearka, Lacus, Meer, Stellar, and Nicol. With that many teenagers, there was an awful lot of commotion.

With all the people around, it was a full day before Cagalli saw Athrun by himself. Her heart pounded, and, as was her new habit, she fiddled with her locket as she approached him. "Athrun?" she ventured quietly.

He turned around. "Yes, Cagalli?" he said. His sparkling eyes caught hers for a moment, but she instantly dropped her gaze to stare at the floor.

"I just- I wanted to-" she stammered. Athrun waited patiently. _"Why the hell am I so nervous? Ugh...this is so unlike me!"_

"Cagalli, what do you say tonight we..." he paused. "Go on a date?"

Cagalli's amber eyes grew wide. "A-a date?" she repeated.

"Yes," he answered. He smiled. "A date. Pick any place you want to go, and I'll take you."

"Really?" she gasped. It had been two months since she last saw him, and two months since she had time together with him..._alone_ with him. She couldn't wait.

"Yes, really," said Athrun. He shot her his infectious grin. "Go get ready."

"All right," beamed Cagalli. "I'll be ready in a few minutes!" She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Wait..." she paused. "I don't have to wear a dress, do I?"

"Not if you don't want to," laughed Athrun. Cagalli was extremely thankful.

Sure enough, ten minutes later she was completely ready. She was wearing a red button-up blouse and cargo capris. Her shaggy blonde hair fell over her shoulders, but the top was pulled back with a red clip. It was slightly dressier than her usual attire. "How do I look?" asked Cagalli shyly.

"I never thought I'd hear the spitfire Cagalli ask how she looked." grinned Athrun. "Anyways, you look lovely. So where would you like to go?"

"I'm not really sure," said Cagalli, a little hesitant. She tapped her finger against her chin. "Could we just go window shopping for a while?"

"Sounds good to me," said Athrun. "Let me get our coats, and we'll go." Athrun helped Cagalli slide her jacket over her shoulders, then proceeded to slide on his own.

"Hey, where are you two going?" asked Nicol. He looked at Athrun, then Cagalli, confused.

"Cagalli and I have a date," said Athrun proudly. He smiled gently at the younger boy. "We'll be back in a few hours."

The early December evening was cold, but not too cold. Snow fluttered across the night sky. Many people, most of them rushing around finishing Christmas shopping, milled about on the sidewalks, talking and laughing. Cagalli was staring at the whirling crowd around her when a warm touch on her hand caught her attention. Athrun nonchalantly reached over and slipped his hand around hers. Athrun thought she would pull away and possibly yell at him, but it was worth the risk. They had been apart for what felt like years, and he wanted nothing more than to be close to her. He laced his fingers through hers, and Cagalli squeezed his hand gently.

They walked around for a while, glancing in windows and commenting on things they saw.

"Hey, let's go in there," suggested Athrun. He tugged her into the little corner bookstore/coffee shop. "You want anything?"

"Hm, I don't know," said Cagalli. He had let go of her hand.

"I'm getting one of those," said Athrun, pointing at a customer who was walking away from the counter with a coffee like drink topped with about 3 inches of whipped cream.

Cagalli batted his hand lightly. "It's rude to point," she said.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "I'm still getting one. Want to share?" he asked. She nodded.

Athrun smiled and stepped up to the counter. "I want one of those," he said to the cashier, pointing to a picture of the beverage. "The Carmel Latte. Two straws, please."

He handed the drink to Cagalli as he pulled his credit card out of his back pocket. "On the Zala account, sir," said Athrun, handing the cashier his card. The cashier nodded. He turned to Cagalli. "Find us a seat, okay?" She nodded as she turned on her heel to enter the seating section.

She looked around and found a small corner booth. It took only a few seconds for her to realize, even just a few hundred steps away, she was lonely without Athrun. Lazily, Cagalli ran the tip of her finger in the whipped cream.

"Hey, you can't start without me!" protested Athrun jokingly. He held the two straws in his grasp. He pointed at the whipped cream on Cagalli's fingertip. "I want that..."

"Well, you can't have it. It's mine," said Cagalli. She waved her finger in Athrun's face. He grinned and sat beside her. Then, once the moment was right, he leaned forward and licked the whipped cream off her finger. She stared at him wide-eyed. She was speechless.

"Didn't think I'd actually do it, did you?" teased Athrun. He then stuck his finger in the cream and held it out to her. "Here. Take a lick." Cagalli stared at the whipped cream, then her fiancée, then the whipped cream again.

"Why should I?" she retorted. "I don't know where your fingers have been!"

He smiled and waved his finger. "If you don't lick it off, I'll stick it up your nose," he threatened.

"All right, all right," she sighed, though not complaining. She actually wanted to lick the whipped cream off. She leaned forward and licked the whipped cream off Athrun's finger. His skin was warm against her tongue.

"See? It wasn't bad," smiled Athrun. "I'm not poison." He took a sip of the latte they had ordered. " Oh, this is good! Try some."

Without thinking, Cagalli put his straw in her mouth and sipped the cold drink.

"You have your own straw, you know," joked Athrun

"I know," she said matter-of-factly. She knew very well that her face was pink. She tried to act like as if she meant to do it. "I just like to dominate things."

"I guess we just need one straw, then," sighed Athrun dramatically. He tossed the second one over his shoulder, where it hit a middle-aged bald man right in the middle of his forehead. The bald man glanced up and glared in the general direction of anyone with a straw, then returned to his book.

It took Athrun what seemed like forever to finish the latte. "Come on, you have some,"

"I've had enough," said Cagalli. She tugged at his sleeve. "Hurry up. I want to go look at the books."

"Go ahead," smiled Athrun. I'll catch up with you when I've finished this." As she turned to leave, Athrun continued.

"Just don't find another guy who's better looking or nicer than me, okay?" he joked. "I'm trusting you!"

"It won't be possible to find anyone else," she said back. Cagalli wandered towards the racks and racks of books. She loved to read. It was how she kept level-headed throughout the war. She moved her gaze towards the mythology rack. A large hardbound book caught her eye. It was a collection of Greek gods and goddesses, filled with paintings. She flipped through the colorful pages, interested. She glanced at the price, winced, and set the book back on the shelf with a last, loving pat on its cover.

"Did you find anything you want?" asked Athrun, sneaking up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Not really," she said. She didn't push him away. "Come on, let's go look around some more."

It was ten o'clock before they realized it. "We'd better be getting back soon," yawned Cagalli. She stretched out her muscular arms. "Flay and Sai are coming in tomorrow, and we don't want to be tired. Everyone knows what a pain Flay can be..."

"No kidding, " said Athrun. "Hey, I have to go do something really fast. Will you wait for me? It'll only take a second."

"Okay..." said Cagalli reluctantly. "It better take only a second. And I'm counting!"

"All right, all right," laughed Athrun. He reappeared several minutes later with a bag in his hand.

"That was more than 'a second'," she scowled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," apologized Athrun. "Let's go home, okay?"

The walk back to the house in the dark was quiet. The snow fluttered across the beautiful night sky. Cagalli kept yawning. Her amber eyes were heavy. She had trouble keeping them open, though she was quite awake when she felt a strong, warm arm slide around her waist. Athrun pulled Cagalli towards him, letting her small body curve against his. Cagalli nestled against him. When they reached the house, he let go of her.

"Goodnight, Cagalli," he said.

"Goodnight," she yawned. He smiled brightly at her, and ran up the steps. Cagalli was clearly puzzled. She shrugged, assumed it was nothing, and slumped sleepily upstairs to her room.

Her bedroom door was open. She made another puzzled face. She hated having her room open, and she knew she hadn't left it that way. She figured it was just Lacus, Meer, and Stellar, but when she went inside, she understood why.

A plastic bag was lying on the quilt on the foot of her bed. It was labeled with the bookstore logo. Confused, she reached inside.

A thick book of Greek Gods and Goddesses slid into her hands.

"Athrun!" she called, running down the hall. She wasn't worried about waking anyone up. "Athrun!"

He poked his head out the door. Innocence shined in his dark eyes. "Yes?" he asked.

Cagalli tossed her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" she cried. "Thank you so much!"

Athrun hugged her tightly. "Are you happy?" he asked.

"I'm so happy I could kiss you!" she said breathlessly.

"Then kiss me," smiled Athrun. He turned his cheek towards her.

Shyly, Cagalli leaned close to him. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly against his cheek. It was over in a second.

She felt her face get hot. "Goodnight, Athrun," whispered Cagalli, running back to her room.

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	11. It's Going To Be A Long Ride

**Chapter 11: It's Going To Be A Long Ride**

"It's going to be a long ride, Flay..."

The car bumped along the rough country roads into the city. Sai glanced over at Flay, who was looking absentmindedly out the window. Her long red hair spilled over her shoulders as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. She sighed. Her beautiful blue-grey eyes shined in the noonday sun. Sai couldn't hide the fact that she was beautiful, for indeed, she was. It was her attitude that wasn't. Although she had betrayed him and dumped him for his best friend, he just couldn't hate her. There was so much about the small red haired girl that he loved. It was just unexplainable.

"I know," answered Flay. She tapped her finger against the window glass. "I don't see why Cagalli wanted me to be in this wedding…I know she doesn't like me..."

"Flay, I think it was the other way around..." explained Sai. "You didn't like her because she was close to Kira, because..." His voice drifted into silence. She had left him for Kira...his good friend. No matter how much he wanted to, he could never forget that.

"It's not that I didn't like her..." said Flay. Her gaze became sullen. "I think it was more that I was jealous of her…" Sai raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Her and Kira. Together..." She shook the tears from her eyes. Even though she had been using Kira to avenge her father's death, she couldn't help but fall in love with the young, naïve coordinator. It killed her inside to know that she had taken such advantage of the boy. His trust, his friendship, his love for her...Thoughts stormed through her head.

Sai reached over and grabbed her hand gently. He laced his fingers through hers, as if telling her it was okay.

"But they're siblings," giggled Flay. She swallowed hard. "And I have you."

Sai smiled halfheartedly, not too sure of how true that last statement was, but he believed her. Flay snuggled up against his arm. "Flay?" he continued quietly.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Try not to do anything...well, you know," Sai tried to explain without being rude. "That might ruin the wedding..."

"Like what?" asked Flay.

"Like..." he started, swallowing hard. His brow furrowed as he thought about how to word his comment. "Don't get into a fight with Kira or something, and make everyone miserable."

"Oh..." said Flay quietly. "Don't worry, I won't..."

To his surprise, she didn't yell, but looked quite sad. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"Come on Flay," he said. She nestled closer to him. "We've still got a long way to go..."

**Author's Note**: I'm sorry! I know it took me forever to update! I've been really busy, but now the chapters and updates will start flying in every day (maybe faster) Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you're definitely my motivation! Next Chap up soon!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	12. Food Tasting

**Chapter 12: Food Tasting**

**Author's Note**: Sorry! I've been really busy lately with final exams and summer gym...it's been taking me forever to update, I know. I hope I can make it up to everyone by writing really good chapters, and updating faster. So, without anymore incoherent babbling, here's Chapter 12 of The Wedding Bells. Read and Review!

Kira walked lazily down the long hallway. It was almost noon, and, as usual, he had just rolled out of bed. The hallways were freezing, as to be expected on a December morning. There was a thick sheet of ice on the windowpane. As he was walking towards the dining room, a sweet, pure voice like that of an angel filled his ears.

_ "We were strangers, starting on a journey. Never dreaming what we'd have to go through. Now here we are, And I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you."_

"That's...Lacus..." he whispered. He followed the beautiful singing. Her door was slightly ajar, the light from her room spilled into the hallway. He gently tapped the door open wide enough so he could slip through.

There she was, dressed in her pearl colored nightgown, her long, pink hair fell beautifully over her shoulders. She was singing into her hairbrush as if it were a microphone. Kira laughed softly under his breath. She was just so cute, like a small child. So innocent...He guessed that she hadn't noticed him come in, seeing as her back was to him. He sat himself on the edge of her bed and listened.

"_I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you."_

As she finished, she turned around to see Kira, who clapped.

"Oh, Kira!" she said, somewhat startled. "I-I didn't know you were there!"

"It's okay. I'm always just so unnoticed..." he said jokingly. He stood up and wrapped his arms tightly around the small giggling Lacus. His fingers entangled themselves in her pink curls. "What song was that you were singing?"

"At the Beginning," answered Lacus. "Cagalli and Athrun have asked me to sing it at their wedding." Kira smiled down at the girl.

"You're such a great singer," he said, hugging her tightly. Lacus blushed at the unexpected praise.

"I don't think I'm that great..." she said, giggling.

"Don't be so modest, Lacus," said Kira. He let her go. "Do you believe every word I say?"

"Of course I do," said Lacus. "I trust you."

"Then believe me when I say you're a great singer!" said Kira. He kissed her forehead. As he leaned forward to kiss her on the lips, Athrun entered.

"Hey you guys, we're-" he paused and looked at Kira questioningly. A grin slipped across Athrun's lips. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Kira and Lacus looked at each other, smiled, then both laughed. "No, of course not," said Kira.

"Well, anyways," continued Athrun as he combed his fingers through his sapphire hair. "We're supposed to go 'food tasting' right now, so, if you guys are ready, let's go."

"Food tasting?" repeated Kira.

"It's where we go to a place and taste food," said Athrun.

"Obviously, but why?" asked Kira.

"It's for the wedding reception," answered Athrun. "We wouldn't want food that we don't like at the wedding, now would we?"

"Let me guess..." grinned Kira. "Cagalli's idea, right?" Athrun nodded. Kira and Lacus both laughed.

Kira grabbed Lacus's coat from the rack, slid it over her shoulders, then hit the light switch. "Well, okay, let's go."

The dining hall was filled with people, Athrun, Cagalli, Kira, Lacus, Stellar, Dearka, Meer, Nicol, even La Flaga and Murrue had shown up. Sai and Flay were running slightly late, due to traffic, and Miriallia wasn't expected to arrive for a few more days, but other than that, everyone was there.

"Let's hand it to the bride for coming up with this _great_ idea," said Kira jokingly as he placed his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Of course she would be the only perfectionist in the world to think that the food has to be perfect, too!" Cagalli, cheeks red with embarassment, elbowed Kira hard in the stomach. Athrun smiled, and kissed Cagalli's forehead.

"Don't worry," said Athrun. "No matter how stickler you are, I still love you."

"If everyone could be seated, that would be great," said the chef. Apparently, he was unaware of the age group he was talking to. Remember, these are a bunch of teenagers. He couldn't seem to get their attention. He turned around to the other chef behind him that was carrying two wine glasses.

"May I borrow those?" he asked. The other chef nodded.

The chef perched himself on two chairs and tapped the wine glasses together softly. "Excuse me everyone." No one turned to look at him. He started tapping the glasses harder. "Excuse me." Once again, same response. Getting frustrated, he tapped the wine glasses together so hard they shattered. "HEY! EVERYONE! GET SEATED!"

"Well, no need to be rude," said Kira,. He pulled out Lacus's chair for her, then his own.

"Yeah," said Meer. "You just could've asked." The chef's face was hot with anger and frustration, but he continued.

"I'm sorry," he said through gritted teeth. "If everyone would take their seats, we'll start bringing out the food."

The first plate was interesting. It consisted of what appeared to be a small chicken breast with some sort of seasoning that Cagalli believed looked like colored pencil shavings. She poked it a few times with her fork. Athrun glanced over and noticed that she hadn't yet taken a bite.

"Cagalli, aren't you going to try this, well," he paused, thinking of the right word to use. "Lovely looking chicken? It looks very tasty..."

"Says you," said Cagalli. She set her fork down. "You haven't tried it yet either. If it looks so tasty, then why don't you try it?"

"Well, um..." sputtered Athrun. She had him there. "Because I was waiting for your opinion on it..." Before Cagalli had a chance to use another comeback, Dearka appeared beside Athrun.

"Hey Athrun," he said quietly.

"What?"

"I think that chicken or whatever it is didn't agree with Nicol," said Dearka, pointing to the young green haired boy behind him. "I think he had an allergic reaction or something."

"My, Nicol..." said Athrun, looking at the boy whose face had swollen up like a large tomato. "Were you okay before we came?"

"Don't...eat...the...chicken..." stuttered Nicol, clearly in pain. His face was blotched with red rashes that looked itchy and painful. Cagalli and Kira tried hard

to swallow their giggles as they stared at the odd looking green haired boy. They realized it was wrong to laugh at someone in pain, but he just looked so funny. They couldn't resist.

"Go get Nicol some ice, okay?" said Athrun to Dearka. Dearka nodded, and took a miserable looking Nicol with him. Cagalli leaned over and whispered in Athrun's ear.

"Now aren't you glad I'm so picky?" she asked jokingly. "Now if I would've eaten that, my face would've swollen up so big and you wouldn't be able to kiss me!" Athrun smiled softly and pressed his lips softly against her cheek.

"Yes, I'm glad," he whispered. "I wouldn't be able to survive if I couldn't kiss you."

The second dish wasn't as bad. It had teriyaki chicken laid on a bed of rice mixed with vegetables. Kira poked at it with his fork, then felt his face with his hands. Lacus looked over at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't want to end up like Nicol," he said. He continued to feel his face. "I like my face the way it is." Lacus giggled and patted his knee softly.

"You'll be fine, dear, don't worry," she said kindly.

"So you can pilot a huge Gundam, yet you're afraid to eat teriyaki chicken," teased Cagalli. Kira made a face at his sister as he picked up his chopsticks.

"I don't see you eating it," said Kira. "Miss I'm-so-tough-mess-with-me-you're-dead. Wasn't this your idea in the first place?"

"I'll eat the chicken, watch me," said Cagalli. She picked up her chopsticks and lifted a piece of chicken, along with a bit of rice. She stared at it for a moment.

"Come on," said Kira. "Eat it."

She popped the chicken into her mouth. It was very, very spicy, but she didn't let it show. She chewed it, and swallowed it with no problem.

"It's good," said Cagalli.

"See?" said Lacus. "I told you there was nothing to worry about, Kira." Kira looked at Cagalli skeptically, then felt around her face with his hands.

"Hands off! What do you think you're doing?" she shouted.

"Okay, then I guess it's all right…" said Kira. Athrun laughed at his best friend.

"You need a big strong woman to eat the teriyaki chicken for you before you eat it, eh?" asked La Flaga jokingly.

"Well, why haven't you eaten it yet, La Flaga?" asked Murrue.

"Did you see what happened to Nicol?" asked La Flaga. "You honestly think I'd eat that?" Everyone laughed. The door to the dining hall opened, and in walked a snow covered Flay and Sai.

"Hello everyone!" said Sai as he shook the snow from his jacket. "I hope we're not too late..." He grabbed Flay's hand, who said nothing. She kept her gaze on the ground.

"No, it's perfectly fine," said Athrun. "We're just getting started. Take a seat, and help us try the next course."

The third dish everyone thought looked wonderful. It consisted of ham, green beans, potatoes, and a mixture of different vegetables. Athrun smiled in delight as he chewed and swallowed the food. He glanced over to see Cagalli's smiling face.

"Do you approve, my bride?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered. "It's the best thing we've had in a while." Athrun looked at everyone else around the table. "So, I'm guessing that this has everyone's vote?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It's settled then," said Cagalli. "This will be our wedding dinner."

**Author's Note**: Okay...it's a lot longer than what I normally write for a chapter, but I hope that it wasn't a disappointment because I haven't written in so long. Well, I hope everyone liked that chapter, please read and review! Reviews keep me motivated Oh, and the song lyrics inserted are 'At the Beginning' from the Disney movie Anastasia. I just thought it was cute. And last but not least, thank you to Justicez for the food tasting idea. Read and Review!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	13. Party Time!

**Chapter 13: Party Time!**

"Okay," said Meer as she jammed her fists onto her somewhat curvaceous hips. She pointed at the stairwell. "You boys have to go!" The boys all glanced at each other, confused. Athrun blinked a few times.

"But why?" he asked, puzzled. He thought for a moment. "And this is my house! I don't have to go anywhere!"

"We're going to have a bachlorette party for Cagalli, don't you remember?" giggled Lacus.

"Yeah, you guys can't be here, silly," grinned Stellar. "That wouldn't make it a bachlorette party, now would it?"

"Now, listen here," said Shinn, rolling his eyes at the girls. "We were here first, so-?"

"Come on, Shinn," said Athrun calmly. "We'll just go upstairs and find something to do up there." He shot Cagalli a kind smile. "The girls can stay down here and do as they please."

"Jeez, Athrun, why do you have to be so nice?" complained Dearka. Athrun patted Cagalli's cheek with his hand.

"Have fun," he said.

"Oh, don't worry, we will!" beamed Meer.

"Whatever," said Cagalli. She plunked herself down onto the jade colored sofa. She grabbed the remote from the end table. "My favorite show's coming on, and I'm not about to miss it for some stupid party."

"You can miss it just this one time, can't you?" asked Lacus sweetly.

"No," answered Cagalli sharply. Cagalli crossed her arms over her chest. "This episode's really important, and if I miss it, then I'll be totally lost for the rest of the season."

"What's more important?" asked Stellar. "Seeing if Takashi leaves Yoko for that woman that he met in the bar, or your own wedding?"

Cagalli was silent for a moment. She tapped her finger against her chin. "Well, it depends..." she answered truthfully.

"Oh for the love of god," muttered Flay under her breath.

"How about we tape it?" Lacus suggested with a smile as she popped a blank tape into the VCR. "Would that be okay?"

"I guess..." said Cagalli hesitantly. Lacus smiled and set the timers. Meer leaned over to Stellar.

"You gave Shinn the tape recorder and the list of questions, just like we planned, right?" she asked.

"Of course I did," she whispered back. She winked. "Everything's going according to plan."

"That's good, very good," smiled Meer. "And now, let the party begin!"

"What fun," said Cagalli sarcastically.

"Hey, it will be fun, I promise," said Lacus as she grabbed Cagalli's hands and hefted her off the sofa.

"My show is fun..." answered Cagalli.

"You're very stubborn…" said Flay quietly.

"And...?" asked Cagalli. "It's not like you're very reasonable either, Flay." Flay opened her mouth to retort, but thought better of it.

_ "I can't ruin this for them..." _she thought, biting her bottom lip. _"I promised..."_

"Come on, think about happy things," said Meer, with a mischievous smile.

"What do you suggest?" said Cagalli as she stared blankly at Meer.

"Like..." she tapped her finger lightly against her chin. There was utter silence for a while, then Meer snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Hold on, I'll be right back."

She dashed out of the room quickly, and returned a short time later with a box full of cosmetics. Cagalli frowned as she saw Meer dump the lipstick, nail polish, eye shadow, eyeliner, and rouge onto the carpet. She smiled mischievously at the other three girls, who returned her smile.

"You aren't planning on using that on me, are you?" asked a frightened Cagalli.

"Girls, we've got work to do," said Lacus, grinning as she picked up a bottle of nail polish.

"Shit..." muttered Cagalli, as she fell back onto the sofa.

The room was utterly silent. All the guys were spread out around the large room. Athrun lie stretched across his bead, while Kira lie on the dark blue beanbag chair. Nicol was sat on the windowsill to gaze up at the stars, and Dearka and Shinn were arguing about which videogame to play.

Kira sighed and stretched out his arms. "I'm bored..." he groaned.

"If you keep complaining, I'll seriously throw you out a window!" shouted Shinn, whose temper had grown very short.

"Um...I don't think that would be a good idea..." said Nicol, the voice of reason.

Shinn threw a pillow at Kira, who ducked, and instead of hitting the brown haired boy, knocked over a vase. Nicol jumped up and started picking up the pieces of glass carefully.

"Guys, settle down," said Athrun. "We need to think of something to do to pass the time..."

The boys sat in more silence.

"Hey!" said Shinn. He sat up. "Since the girls are having a bachlorette party for Cagalli, we could have a bachelor party for Athrun!"

"Oh no!" said Athrun.

"Oh, where's your sense of fun?" asked Kira. He patted his best friend on the back. "Let's have one right now! It'll be a lot of fun, trust me!"

"Hey Cagalli..." said Lacus.

"What?" she snapped. At the moment, her hair was covered in tin foil, due to the new honey-blonde highlights placed in her hair, her fingernails were sticky with 'Mango Mango' nail polish, Stellar was in her face with an eyeliner pencil, Meer was trying out a few different shades of lipstick on her, Flay was trying out different foundations against her skin tones...of course, the poor little bride had a clear right to snap.

"We were wondering about some...things..." said Meer, finally coming to the decision of 'Midnight Vermillion' lipstick. It wasn't too bright, and it wasn't too dark, it was perfect. She placed the stick against Cagalli's lips and smoothed it over a few times to make sure the color was even, then continued, "We have a few...'questions' to ask you."

This was Stellar's cue. She pulled the miniature tape recorder out of her duffel bag, clicked 'record', and went back to tracing Cagalli's eyes with coal black eyeliner,

"What kind of things?" asked Cagalli warily. She readjusted herself slightly.

"Hey, don't move unless you want stabbed in the eye with eyeliner," warned Stellar jokingly.

"Things like..." said Meer, as she placed the cap on the lipstick. "What are you going to wear on your wedding night?" Cagalli blushed furiously. She growled.

"Remind me why that's your business?" sputtered Cagalli.

"Lingerie?" asked Lacus with a grin.

"Or nothing at all?" asked Stellar with a bigger grin. Cagalli's face flushed quickly.

"That's none of your business!" retorted Cagalli, her face as red as a cherry. "You guys are so strange..."

"You're the one that picked us to be your bridesmaids," said Lacus with a kind smile. She picked up the nail file off the floor and grabbed Cagalli's hand.

"Yeah, don't remind me," said Cagalli.

"Okay, next question," said Stellar, lightly running the black eye pencil over Cagalli's lower eyelid. "What does Athrun mean to you?" Cagalli stared up at Stellar.

"You expect me to explain that in a few words?" asked Cagalli.

"You can use as many words as you like," smiled Lacus. Cagalli tapped her finger against her chin.

"I don't think it could be explained in words..." she answered honestly. She fiddled with the locket that hung loosely around her neck. "He means everything to me...he saved me from myself..."

"That's so sweet," said Stellar as she recapped the eye pencil and picked up the dark eye shadow.

"Anymore weird questions?" asked Cagalli.

"One..." said Meer. "And then you're done, we promise."

"Okay, but this better be it..." said Cagalli.

"What are the 3 things that you love most about Athrun?" asked Meer with a smile. Cagalli thought for a moment about her answer.

"Well..." she replied. She fixated her amber eyes on the wooden floorboards. "He's so kind...and he's very protective of me, he'd surely give up anything to make sure I'm happy...he's taken away my pain...what isn't there to love?"

"That's nice and all..." said Stellar with a grin. "But what do you love about him...physically?"

"Okay, so we have no strippers," said Shinn. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, that sucks, isn't that supposed to be what bachelor parties are all about?" He waved his hand and motioned for the other boys to come out of then changing room. "I guess you guys will have to do."

"I don't want to come out..." said Nicol shyly.

"Shinn, I can't believe you made us do this!" shouted Dearka.

Shinn looked at Athrun, who looked confused. He smiled at the sapphire haired boy, as he stood to his feet and walked to the changing room. He grabbed Nicol and Dearka by the arms and drug them out into the room. Kira slowly followed behind. Athrun's jaw dropped as he saw his friends standing there in lacy women's lingerie. Each of them had a 'Hello my name is' sticker on their chest with what appeared to be their 'stripper name' written on it with black permanent marker.

"This is so degrading..." mumbled Dearka, whose stripper name was Sparkles. He adjusted his dark red bra, which didn't stay on well, seeing as there was nothing to put in it.

"I feel violated..." mumbled Nicol, who was, at the moment, also known as 'Sugar Cake'

"I don't think it's that bad, guys," said Kira, also known as 'Ginger Snap'. He walked over to the standing mirror and glanced at himself. "I kind of like it. I feel oh so free!"

"That's revolting!" said Dearka. He hit his friend lightly on the arm. "What's gotten into you, Kira?"

"Wow, um...guys, I really don't want to see this," said Athrun. He shielded his eyes from his half naked friends. "I'm getting married, not turning gay..."

"Okay," said Shinn as he grabbed the miniature tape recorder Stellar had gave him. "You have a few questions to answer..."

"And if I chose not to?" said Athrun.

"I could make Sparkles, Sugar Cake, and Ginger Snap dance..." Shinn grinned evilly. "Or strip..." Dearka's jaw dropped open, Nicol looked as if he was about to cry, and Kira was still looking at himself in the mirror. "So which do you prefer?"

"I'll answer them!" responded Athrun quickly. "I'll answer them!" Shinn hit the 'record' button on the tape player.

"What are you planning on doing on your honeymoon?" asked Shinn with a smile. Athrun blushed profusely at the black haired boy's question.

"Things that one would expect a married couple to do..." answered Athrun simply, his face hot.

"Mind going into detail?" asked Dearka with interest. Athrun sunk in his chair.

"Next question please..." said Athrun.

"Okay..." said Shinn, slightly disappointed that he hadn't gotten a full answer to the last question. "What are the three things that you love most about Cagalli?"

He responded quickly. "Oh, that's easy..." he smiled. "She's very lively, and trustworthy, and she makes me smile..."

"That's all great and good," sighed Shinn. "But what do you love about her...you know, physically?"

**Author's Note**: I'll end this chapter here, it's a nice cliffhanger. In the next chapter, you find out what Athrun and Cagalli both like about each other grins evilly PHYSICALLY! Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! They mean a lot and definitely keep me motivated! I hope everyone liked this chapter. So, read and review, please and thank you!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	14. Physically?

**Chapter 14: Physically?**

"Physically?" Cagalli repeated. She swallowed hard. The other girls grinned madly at Cagalli's discomfort. "I...well, um..."

"What?" Stellar baited the other blonde girl playfully. She lifted the box of highlighting dyes and smiled. "Can't you say it? Because if you can't, I hope you'll enjoy some green highlights on your wedding day." Cagalli ducked and wrapped her arms over her head.

"Okay, I'll answer it!" said Cagalli. "Just put the dye down!" Stellar smiled as she set the box of dyes back on the floor. Cagalli tapped her fingernail against the maple end-table. She thought for a moment, then opened her mouth to answer.

"He...has gorgeous, deep, emerald eyes that I could stare into for hours," said Cagalli, her eyes still on the floorboards beneath her. "And...he has the nicest smile I've ever seen, it's so warm and comforting...and..." She delivered the last one in a mumble loud enough for only her to hear.

"What was the last one?" asked Lacus. "I didn't catch it..."

"Okay, I'll say it again..." Cagalli growled. It was slightly louder this time, but still not loud enough.

"Pardon?" asked Meer with a smile.

"HE HAS A REALLY NICE ASS, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW! WILL YOU STOP ASKING ME ALL THESE QUESTIONS?" shouted Cagalli. The four girls exchanged glances. Stellar turned off the tape recorder. Once Cagalli realized what she had just done, she sunk back into the sofa, her face scarlet.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the boys heard that..." said Flay under her breath. "I'm sure even God in the High Heavens heard that one."

"What was that, Flay?" asked Lacus.

"Oh nothing," giggled Flay, as she faked a smile. "I think I'm going to go get something to drink. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As Flay walked down the hallway to the kitchen, she spotted Sai sitting on the back porch. He was staring blankly up at the stars. She tilted her head, somewhat confused.

_ "Shouldn't he be with Kira and the others?" _she thought. She slid open the sliding door and slipped outside into the cold. She placed her hand on Sai's shoulder lightly.

"It sure is cold tonight," said Flay, as she rubbed her arms. All she was wearing was a black tank top and flannel, plaid pajama pants.

"It sure is..." said Sai quietly. He smiled gently at her. "Come here." He held open his arms and brought her into his embrace.

"Shouldn't you be at that bachlorette party with the girls?" asked Sai.

"I told them I was going to get a drink of water," said Flay. She looked up at him. "And shouldn't you be with the boys?"

"I told them I didn't feel well, and came outside for fresh air," said Sai truthfully. It was quiet for a while. The moon was almost full in the illuminated night sky.

"I don't think they like me, Sai..." whispered Flay. He raised his eyebrows.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know…after all that's happened with Kira and I…all the lies I told...there's no way they could still like me..." Sai smiled gently and wrapped his arms around her shivering shoulders.

"Don't worry, they're very forgiving..." Sai reassured her. "Trust me. Just let them know how sorry you are. They'll accept you. Go have some fun." Flay nestled closer to his neck.

"Hey, Flay are you okay? I just came to check on you..." said Lacus, as she slid open the door. She looked up and saw Flay in Sai's arms. A blush spread across Lacus's cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," said Flay with a smile. "I was just coming back." Flay stood up and looked into Sai's bright blue eyes.

"Now you should take your own advice, and go have some fun, too," said Flay. He smiled at her.

"I will, don't worry," said Sai as he kissed her gently on the forehead. Flay gave him one last smile, and followed Lacus inside.

_ "The life in her eyes..." _thought Sai as he walked back inside as well. _"Has finally returned..."_

"Physically?" swallowed Athrun. A bead of sweat trickled down his face as he tugged at his collar. "And by physically, you mean...what she looks like?"

"Well, duh!" said Shinn as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "And to think you're supposed to be the smart one?" The door suddenly opened.

"Hi guys, I'm back," smiled Sai.

"Feeling any better?" asked Nicol, clearly concerned.

"Yes I am," he answered. He looked at Kira, Dearka, and Nicol in their lacy lingere. "I'm guessing I missed something...?"

"We're having a bachelor party for Athrun," explained Shinn. "And we didn't have any strippers, so that's why Dearka, Nicol, and Kira are dressed like they are. We're asking Athrun a few questions."

"Oh, okay..." said Sai. He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but thought better of it. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answers.

"Where were we?" asked Shinn as he tapped his finger against the wood bureau he was sitting on. "Ah, yes...so tell us right now, Zala, what do you like about Cagalli physically?"

"No?" said Athrun hopefully.

"Fine then," sighed Shinn. "I'll make Dearka, Kira, and Nicol dance. AND I'll tell you're spirited little bride downstairs that you think she's hideous."

"No! Don't do that!" exclaimed Athrun. "That's not it! She's really pretty, beautiful in fact, but...I can't tell you guys what I like about her!"

"Okay then," Shinn smiled and flipped on the stereo. Slow, jazz like music filled the room. "Start dancing." Athrun quickly lunged for the stereo.

"No!" shouted Athrun. "Okay, fine...I'll tell you..." Shinn turned off the music and waited patiently for Athrun's answer.

He took a deep breath and began talking. "What I love the most about Cagalli physically is...she has beautiful golden eyes, that, when I look into them, it feels as though she's looking straight into my soul...she has the softest, brightest hair that I've ever seen on a girl...and..." he paused. The room was silent.

"Come on, Athrun, one more..." said Shinn. Once again, complete silence.

"Answer it, Athrun," said Kira. Same deal. Shinn reached for the stereo.

"SHE HAS PERFECT BREASTS!" shouted Athrun, his face red. He sank back, his ears as red as cherries. Shinn turned off the tape recorder.

It was late, almost midnight, as Athrun stumbled down the stairs. He yawned and stretched his arms. The boys were in his bedroom, playing Dance Dance Revolution, and, as far as he knew, Dearka was winning. Athrun went into the kitchen. He pulled out a glass and put it under the water dispenser.

"Athrun?"

He jumped, and almost dropped the glass he was holding. "Cagalli?" he breathed. "You scared me." He glanced back at her. "Cagalli, is that you?"

"Of course," she blinked. "Who the hell did you think I was?" She was sitting on the edge of the kitchen counter as she chomped on a chocolate chip cookie. Cagalli...his Cagalli...the gun-wielding tomboy was wearing a small, somewhat revealing red slip that was slightly falling off one shoulder. Her usually shaggy hair had been styled and highlighted. To top it off, she was wearing makeup. Her legs were completely revealed, up to about the top of her thighs. Athrun hadn't really paid attention to her legs before, because she always wore pants, but now that he saw them, he couldn't take his eyes off them.

"Stop drooling," whispered Cagalli with a smile. She held out her cookie sweetly. "Want some?"

"Uh...sure..." stammered Athrun. Instead of just handing him the rest of the cookie, Cagalli lightly broke off a small piece and popped the cookie into his mouth. Her fingers brushed softly against his lips. He could taste the sweet chocolate on her fingertips. He nearly forgot to chew the cookie. He knew that a blush was forming across his cheeks. It deepened as Cagalli leaned close to him.

"Goodnight," she whispered softly as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. She smiled, and ran back upstairs.

"Oh...okay..." murmered Athrun. "Goodnight Cagalli...I love you..."

**Author's Note**: There it is! Another chapter! See? I said I'd update faster! Thanks again for the great reviews! I'm going to be bringing in a few more characters in the next chapters, such as Yzak and Miriallia. In case anyone wanted to know why some of the characters from Destiny aren't in here, it's because I've only watched episode 1 of Destiny. I really wanna watch it though I only put in the characters I knew, such as Shinn, Stellar, and Meer, but yeah, I'm gonna do some research and add in some characters from Destiny. I hope you guys like the story so far. Oh...and I was wondering...should I write a sequel to this? Meaning the honeymoon? If I get enough people saying that I should write the honeymoon story, I'll do it. Well, thanks for reading. Please Review!

**This Chapter Updated 11/10/2010**


	15. Wedding Rehearsal Scare

**Chapter 15: Wedding Rehersal Scare**

Cagalli twirled her emerald engagement ring nervously on her finger. It was the morning of the rehearsal for the ceremony. "Do I look all right?" she asked her friends.

"You look absolutely precious," answered Lacus with a smile. "Put a little more mascara on though." She picked up the brush and ran it over Cagalli's thick lashes. Flay laughed slightly. Cagalli glared at the redhead.

"And just what are you laughing at?" she snapped.

"Oh nothing," replied Flay, still choking back her giggles. "I just never thought that I'd see the day where Cagalli Yula Atha would ask if she looked all right. I guess the world as we know it is coming to an end..."

"Isn't that the truth!" giggled Stellar.

Cagalli, who was almost frantic, ignored their comments. "But what about my hair? And my dress? Do they look okay?" Meer placed her hands gently on Cagalli's trembling shoulders.

"They're perfect, calm down," she reassured her. "Stop worrying so much, everything will be fine."

Lacus put the mascara brush down and lifted up the knot of red ribbons that were substituting the bouquet. "We're supposed to be starting the rehearsal in a few minutes, so we better get going."

Cagalli took the ribbons from Lacus. Her pink haired friend smiled brightly and threw her arms around her. "Oh, Cagalli, I'm so happy for you!" Cagalli smiled too and hugged her back.

"I wish someone would walk me down the aisle..." she mumbled under her breath, only loud enough for her to hear.

"Pardon?" asked Stellar, as she put mascara over her own lashes.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Cagalli. She grabbed her coat from the rack. "Let's go, we mustn't be late."

The December air was already bitter. All of the boys were already standing outside of the chapel, waiting on the arrival of the girls.

As Cagalli stepped out of the car, she felt someone hug her tightly.

"Cagalli! It's so good to see you!" Cagalli looked down to see Miriallia clung tightly to her. She smiled.

"It's good to see you, too!" said Cagalli. "So when did you get in?"

"I got in early this morning," she answered. "I can't believe you're getting married! You look gorgeous!"

"Thank you," said Cagalli, a soft blush forming at her cheeks from the unexpected praise.

"Now that everyone's present," began Athrun. He smiled gently at his bride. "Let's get this rehearsal underway, shall we?"

Murrue and La Flaga had finished planning most of the processional. Flay and Sai would walk down the aisle first, followed by Shinn and Stellar, then Dearka and Miriallia, and after them would be Meer and Nicol. Then the Best Man and the Maid of Honor, Kira and Lacus. Lacus would begin singing "At The Beginning", and then Cagalli would walk down the aisle all on her own.

Lacus sang beautifully. She had been practicing for hours the night before, and it had really paid off. But there were loads of problems that happened...

Flay and Sai came too early, as did Meer and Nicol. Shinn and Stellar came too late, and Dearka and Miriallia came in from the wrong side. But Cagalli entered at just the right time.

Kira, as the best man, stood the closest to Athrun. He was the only one to hear him sigh as Cagalli walked gracefully down the aisle. Kira smiled, watching his beautiful sister proudly. He knew that she was going to be happy with Athrun. It was a good match. Athrun kept his eyes fixated on his blonde bride as she walked towards him, wavering in her new high heels.

"Now when she's this close, Athrun, take her hands," explained Murrue. Athrun complied and squeezed Cagalli's hand gently. Her fingers were trembling. "Then Mu will go through the ceremony, we do the vows, you kiss, and we have a big party. You two have memorized your vows, right?" They both nodded.

"Well, if that's over with," said La Flaga, a smile spreading across his lips. "Let's go eat!"

Dinner was held at a local restaurant. The rather large group filled up the entire place.

Athrun watched Cagalli closely. She seemed jumpy, uncomfortable...her usually warm, gentle hands were cold in his grasp at the altar, and she kept twisting her engagement ring around on her finger. He wrapped his arm around her waist gently.

"Is everything all right?" he whispered softly.

"I...I..." she stammered. "I have to go!" She bolted out and ran into the cold, dark night.

"Cagalli!" Athrun called out. He was confused and hurt. Why was she acting like this? As he was about to run after her, a hand touched his arm.

"Let me."

Cagalli ran out of the restaurant, and into the little garden about a quarter of a mile away. She collapsed onto a bench, breathless and shivering.

"I can't do it," she whimpered. "I just can't do it." It was too much.

She was too afraid. Not of Athrun...Athrun was so kind, and so loving, and so gentle...but she was afraid of herself. She was too cold and cruel. A girl so harsh didn't belong with such a sweet boy. Cagalli wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked back and forth. "I can't do it..."

She felt a gentle hand touch her back. "Do what, Cagalli?" asked Kira gently.

Cagalli straightened abruptly. "Nothing!" she snapped. "I'm fine. Just leave me alone!" She didn't even realize who it was. She didn't care. She just wanted him gone.

"Really?" asked Kira. "You're fine? Could have fooled me." He sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her shivering shoulders. "You know, Athrun's my best friend, and I can't have him in a relationship where his wife lies all the time..." She sniffled hard. Kira held her close. "Tell me what's wrong, little sister."

"I can't marry Athrun!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm not good enough for him, I don't deserve him! I'm just some little orphan kid! I don't have anything to give him!"

"Oh, Cagalli, don't say that," whispered Kira. "You do have something to give him. You make him so happy. I've never seen Athrun as happy as he is when he's with you."

Cagalli rubbed her eyes hard with her hands. "I-I make him happy?" she repeated. "How can someone like me do that?"

"Just by being you, he loves everything about you," said Kira. "Now, little sister, you should return to Athrun before he goes berserk, he's really worried, you know..."

Cagalli smiled at Kira tentatively. "Will you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" asked Kira. Cagalli whispered something in his ear. "I would love to, Cagalli."

They returned to find Athrun sitting on top of a bench outside of the restaurant. He was shaking his leg nervously as he scanned the vicinity for signs of Cagalli's return. When he saw her, he leapt off the bench and ran to her.

"Cagalli!" he exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her like a small child into his embrace. She hugged him back. "Don't scare me like that! Please, don't do that again! You had me so worried!"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Athrun..."

He kissed her softly on the cheek. "It's all right." he murmured. "It's all right." Athrun set her gently on the ground. "I love you." She looked at the ground and quietly took his hand.

"I love you, too."

Kira cleared his throat. "Well, if the little lovebirds are back to normal...?"

"Yeah," said Athrun, blushing slightly. "Thanks, Kira."

He shrugged. "Well, what are best friends for?" he said with a smile. "Now, I believe you have a rehearsal dinner to attend. And no one can eat until you two are there, so hurry up!" He pushed both of them inside.

**Author's Note: **Yes! Another chapter completed! Thanks again for all the GREAT reviews, you guys are awesome! At the end of the story, I'll make an author's note and put down every penname that receives wedding cake And, since everyone wanted me to, I guess I will be writing a sequel to this. If you have any ideas for the honeymoon, message me about it. I'm open to anything! But, until then, there's still a few more chapters in this story, and I guarantee they will be fluff-filled (well, it's a wedding, that's mandatory XD) Please continue to read and review, and thanks again for everyone's support!

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/2011**


	16. The YuiNo Gifts

**Chapter 16: The YuiNo Gifts**

It was almost 11 o'clock and the dinner was almost over. Mostly everyone was done eating, that is, except for Kira and Dearka, who claimed they were exceptionally hungry.

"Hey, I'm a growing boy and I'm hungry!" whined Kira as he shovled more food into his mouth. Cagalli sometimes wondered how she was related to him, but she knew she loved him all the same.

Cagalli nonchalantly reached over and took Athrun's hand. He jumped in surprise as she laced her small fingers through his. He was normally the one that had to make the moves. Cagalli rarely did anything first. He blushed lightly.

"Let's go look at the gifts," she whispered in his ear, her breath soft. Its softness made the hairs on the back of Athrun's neck stand straight up.

"Um...okay..." he stammered, a soft blush rising on his cheek bones. First she acted shy, and now this? _"I'll never understand girls..."_ thought Athrun as he followed his little bride.

The Yui-No gifts were displayed along the wall in the far back of the restraunt near the buffet. Gorgeous daffodils were in crystal vases at each end of the table, and the table cloth was a deep crimson color. Athrun smiled lightly and wrapped his arms around Cagalli's waist. He pulled her close to him.

"So...what do all of these mean again?" he asked. He pointed to the Yui-No gifts. She made a face and slapped at his hands, but not hard enough for him to let go of her.

"Don't you know anything?" she asked with a smile.

"Not really," he grinned. "Come on, tell me." His smile widened. "You're always telling me that you're the smart one."

She rolled her amber eyes playfully and pointed to the first gift, which was created from an abalone shell.

"That's Naga-Noshi" she explained. "It means sincere wishes."

She pointed to the next one. "And Mokuroko, which is the list of gifts. And money, of course. And Yanagi-Daru, the sake-casks."

"What about those?" asked Athrun curiously as he pointed to two clear glass jars.

"Katsuo-Boshi and Surume," answered Cagalli. "They represent long-lasting quality."

"You mean like a high-quality marriage?" guessed Athrun.

"That's a rather tasteless way of expressing it, but yes, I suppose so," said Cagalli.

"So what's that?" continued Athrun as he pointed to the next gift.

"Shiraga," said Cagalli.

"White hair?" he repeated quizzically. He looked at her questioningly. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's hemp," explained Cagalli. "It means long life together."

Athrun kissed her temple gently. "That sounds pretty good to me..."

"You messed up my hair," complained Cagalli.

He kissed her again in the same spot. "Too bad," he grinned. "Also, is this the same Cagalli I fell in love with? The one that didn't care what her hair looked like?" Cagalli blushed and said nothing. Athrun kissed her again, then continued asking questions. "What does the fan signify?"

"That's suehiro," corrected Cagalli, as she stratgically adjusted the brightly colored fan on the wall. "It means happy future."

"Well then, that's all of them," said Athrun. He glanced at the table again, and noticed one they had missed. "Except this one." he said, pointing to it. "What is it?"

Cagalli lightly tapped her finger against her chin. She was quiet for a moment. "Hmm...I don't think I know..." she whispered. "I thought I memorized all of the Yui-no gifts..."

La Flaga appeared behind them with Murrue at his side. She had her fingers laced through his, and a smile on her face.

"That is Konbu, dear children," he smirked. He and Murrue grinned madly at each other. "Do you remember what that means, Cagalli?"

"No..." answered Cagalli truthfully. "I thought I had them all memorized, but for some reason, this one escapes my mind..."

Murrue giggled. "Out of all the gifts, I would hope that this one would be the one you wouldn't want to forget."

"Why?" asked Athrun.

"Because," answered La Flaga with a grin. "It means fertility."

Athrun and Cagalli looked at each other and blushed furiously.

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/2011**


	17. Everyone Downstairs Now!

**Chapter 17: Everyone Downstairs Now!**

.It wasn't until 1:00 AM that everyone had returned back to the mansion. The boys had went down to their quarters, which was at the end of the first hallway on the second floor, and the girls headed to theirs, which was on the third flood.

The girls were all spread out around the large bedroom. Lacus was running her hairbrush through her soft, coral colored locks, Flay was washing off her makeup, Stellar was pulling off her boots, Meer was channel-surfing, Miriallia was changing into her pajamas, and Cagalli was sitting on her bed, fiddling with her locket, which was her new habit.

."Well, tonight was definitely interesting..." said Lacus with a smile as she threw her lilac sleeping bag onto the floor and gently smoothed it out with her hands. She laid her pillow on top. "I think Kira ate himself sick..."

"No kidding," smirked Cagalli. "Every time I looked over, that boy had another piece of food in his mouth!"

"Dearka, too," said Miriallia with a smile as she placed her yellow sleeping bag on the floor next to Lacus's. "I don't think those two could ever pass up an 'all-you-can-eat buffet'." Everyone laughed at that, even Flay.

There was a knock on the door. Cagalli sighed, stood up, walked over to the door, and opened it. Shinn was standing there, his hands jammed into his pockets. Before he had the chance to say anything, she hollered, "Stellar, it's for you!" Cagalli wasn't very fond of Shinn, and he knew that well, as did everyone else, so he didn't bother to ask why she hadn't spoken to him.

"Me?" asked Stellar with an innocent tone, though she knew very well what was going on. She quickly grabbed an object from her purse, headed towards the door, and was pulled into the hallway by the black haired boy.

The hallways were lit dimly only by candles and the moonlight.

"Did you get the questions?" asked Shinn anxiously, his vermillion eyes sharp. "You had to. Please tell me you did. Because if you didn't, I'll-" Stellar brought a single finger to his lips, hushing him.

"You underestimate me, Shinn," said the blonde girl playfully. She winked at him, making his cheeks turn a pail pink that was visible even in the twilight. She tossed him the cassette. "Of course I did. Did you get yours?"

"Yeah," said Shinn with a smile, pulling out his tape from his back pocket. "This'll be great. I can't wait to see their faces! When are we going to play it?"

"Hmmm..." said Stellar, tapping her slender finger against her chin. "We could call everyone down to the main hall to play it, so everyone can hear it! If we do it that way, everyone will get to see their reactions!"

"Sounds like a plan," smiled. Shinn. "You get the girls ready, and I'll get the guys!"

"Okay," she answered. He kissed her softly on the cheek and ran back to the guys' quarters.

Stellar walked back into the room, closing the large door quietly behind her.

"What was that about?" asked Flay. Stellar gave a quick grin.

"You're not engaged too, are you?" asked Meer with excitement. Stellar giggled.

"No," she answered.

"Not yet anyways," teased Lacus playfully. Stellar's cheeks turned pink.

"Well, the guys have decided they want all of us down in the main hall of the house," explained Stellar.

"Why?" asked Cagalli, confused. The other girls looked at Stellar with curiosity.

"You'll find out when you get there," said Stellar with a grin. "Follow me."

"I'm back..." said Shinn, closing the door behind him. He glanced around the room. To his discontent, the guys room was no fun compared to what the girls' room seemed to be.

Athrun was reading an old novel, Dearka was playing Gameboy, Sai was staring up at the bright stars outside the window, Nicol was playing the ivory-keyed grand piano ever so lightly...

"You guys are boring," muttered Shinn. He sighed loudly as he looked around the room. "Can't you guys find anything better to do? This is supposed to be fun...it's days before your wedding, Zala!"

"This is fun," answered Athrun simply. "I have a lot going through my mind about the wedding. Excitement, curiosity..."

"Yeah, well that's good and all, but you could at least loosen up!" retorted Shinn. Annoyance rang clearly in his tone of voice.

"I'm not boring!" shouted a voice from the back room. Athrun, Shinn, Dearka, Nicol, and Sai's jaws fell open simultaneously. Out walked Kira in his lingerie from the other night, otherwise known as "the bachelor party".

"Kira, what the hell are you doing?" asked Shinn.

"I like it, I told you!" explained Kira with a smile. "I think it shows off my nice legs."

"Wow..." muttered Shinn. That's all he could think of. Nothing else came to mind. "Disturbing...anyways..." he paused. "We should all go down to the main hall."

"Why?" asked Athrun, confused. "It's late...and what would be the point?"

"Because the girls want us to," answered Shinn.

"And that would make us go because...?" asked Kira, still standing there in his lingerie.

"God...sometimes I wonder if you guys aren't mental..." mumbled Shinn. "The girls want us down in the main hall now. You'll find out when you get there! Get a move on it!"

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/2011**


	18. Playback

**Chapter 18: Playback**

The girls sat in the main hall anxiously, wondering what they were possibly there for at this time of night.

"Hmm I wonder what it is..." whispered Flay to Lacus. She shrugged. She didn't have any idea either. The only ones who knew were Stellar, Shinn, and Meer.

"Stellar," muttered Cagalli. "Can you remind me why again we're all here?"

"Hold on," replied Stellar. "You'll see." She tapped her finger anxiously against her leg. _"Shinn better hurry up..."_

"Come on, you guys! Hurry the hell up!"

The girls downstairs all recognized that temper. It was Shinn, yelling at Athrun, Dearka, Kira, Sai, and Nicol.

"But why-?" was all they heard from Athrun before they saw him at the bottom of the stairs. Shinn came down behind him with a grin. He had pushed Athrun down the last few stairs so he would go faster.

"I told you, you'd see," answered Shinn simply. "But no, you wanted to be difficult. So I shoved you."

"You seem oddly happy about that," said Athrun.

"I am," laughed Shinn. Behind Shinn was Nicol with his chartreuse hair and mahogany eyes. He looked tired. Behind him was Dearka, who flashed a smile at Miriallia, who was sitting between Flay and Cagalli. She smiled back, a blush forming at her cheeks. Then came Sai, who shot a grin at Flay. The last one drew a collective gasp from the girls. Down the stairs came the most famous mobile suit pilot, Kira Yamato, in women's lingerie. Lacus's jaw dropped as he stood in front of her in his tight red corset and thigh high stockings.

"Hey there," he said sweetly. He winked. "Like it?"

"Oh my," said Lacus. She couldn't think of anything else to say. The other girls were laughing hysterically.

"Nice outfit, uh, 'Ginger Snap'," giggled Cagalli as she read the 'Hello my name is' sticker on his chest. "I can't believe you're related to me..."

"This is great!" hooted Meer. "What got you to wear that?"

"You think this is great?" asked Shinn with a smile. "You should've been in our room earlier. I had Nicol, Dearka, and Kira in this getup!"

Miriallia eyed Dearka. "You wore THAT?" she asked. He bowed his head shamefully. She giggled hysterically with the other girls.

"Kira, why do you still have yours on?" asked Lacus between her giggles.

"I kind of like it..." he answered.

"You're definitely not related to me," laughed Cagalli.

"So what was the reason for these outfits?" asked Stellar. "You guys have avoided that question. And we all obviously see that Shinn was the mastermind behind all of this." She smiled at Shinn, who smiled back at her.

"Well," Shinn began. "The reason I forced the guys to put on these outfits was because no other strippers were present, and that's what bachelor parties are all about." Cagalli quickly stopped laughing and stood to her feet.

"Athrun Zala!" she shouted. "Don't tell me you had these boys strip for you nights before our wedding!" The girls around her continued laughing.

"N-no, you've got the wrong idea!" Athrun tried to explain. Cagalli grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and looked as if she were going to punch him in the face.

"Well, if the hot tempered bride-to-be would be quiet for a minute, I'd continue explaining," said Shinn. She released her tight grip around Athrun's neck and muttered a soft, half-hearted apology. "Anyways, I decided to ask Athrun some questions..."

"What kind of questions?" snapped Cagalli. "If he's turning gay?"

"Some personal questions," smiled Shinn. "And if he didn't answer them, I was going to make the guys strip."

"You better tell me you answered all of those questions, Zala!" shouted Cagalli.

"I did, I did!" shouted Athrun. The girls and guys in the room were finding deep amusement out of this. Shinn walked over to the stereo while Athrun and Cagalli continued fighting. He slid the tape in and pressed play. When he turned around, he saw Cagalli on top of Athrun, her hands wrapped forcefully around his neck. Athrun was trying to get up from under her tight hold.

The room was quiet, then the voices on the tape began. They all listened intently.

_"What are you planning on doing on your honeymoon?"_ Shinn's voice.

_"Things that one would expect a married couple to do..."_ Athrun's voice.

_"Mind going into detail?"_ Dearka's voice.

Miriallia patted Dearka's arm. "Leave it to you to ask something like that," she smiled.

_"Next question please."_ Athrun's voice.

_"Okay..."_ Shinn's voice.

_"What are the three things you love most about Cagalli?"_ Shinn's voice again.

_"Oh that's easy. She's very lively, trustworthy, and she makes me smile."_ Athrun's voice.

_"That's all great and good, but what do you love about her...you know, physically?" _Shinn's voice.

_"Physically?"_ Athrun's voice. A slight pause.

_"And by physically, you mean, what she looks like?"_ Athrun's voice again.

_"Well duh! And you're supposed to be the smart one!"_ Shinn's voice.

Everyone in the room laughed at that, except Cagalli, who still had Athrun pinned to the floor.

_"Hi guys, I'm back."_ Sai's voice.

_"Feeling any better?"_ Nicol's voice

_"Yes I am. I guessing I missed something?"_ Sai's voice.

_"We're having a bachelor part for Athrun and we didn't have any strippers, so that's why Dearka, Nicol, and Kira are dressed the way they are. We're asking Athrun a few questions."_ Shinn's voice.

_"Oh, okay then."_ Sai's voice.

_"Where were we? Ah, yes. So tell us right now, Zala, what do you like about Cagalli physically?"_ Shinn's voice.

_"No?"_ Athrun's voice.

_"Fine then. I'll make Dearka, Kira and Nicol dance. And I'll tell your spirited little bride downstairs that you think she's hideous."_ Shinn's voice.

_"No! Don't do that! That's not it! She's really pretty, beautiful in fact, but I can't tell you guys what I like about her!"_ Athrun's voice.

_"Okay then."_ Shinn's voice. Music plays.

_"Start dancing."_ Shinn's voice again.

_"No! Okay, fine, I'll tell you,"_ Athrun's voice. Another pause.

_"What I love the most about Cagalli physically is that she has beautiful golden eyes that, when I look into them, it feels as though she's looking straight into my soul. She has the softest, brightest hair that I've ever seen on a girl...and..."_ Athrun's voice.

_"Come on Athrun, one more."_ Shinn's voice. Silence.

_"Answer it, Athrun."_ Kira's voice. Silence again.

_"SHE HAS PERFECT BREASTS!"_ Athrun's voice.

Shinn clicked off the stereo with a satisfied grin painted on his lips. Everyone was laughing. Cagalli stared down at Athrun, whose face was bright red. She loosened her grip and turned to Stellar while Athrun gasped for air.

"You!" she shouted.

"And don't think you're getting out of this easy, Cagalli." smiled Stellar impishly. She pulled the cassette tape from her pocket and popped in into the recorder. The girls and guys all smiled at each other.

"Damn..." said Cagalli, defeated.

Stellar put the cassette in the stereo and pushed play.

_"Hey Cagalli."_ Lacus's voice.

_"What?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"We were wondering about some things. We have a few 'questions' to ask you."_ Meer's voice.

_"What kinds of things?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"Hey, don't move unless you want stabbed in the eye with eyeliner."_ Stellar's voice.

The room laughed at this. Stellar smiled and did a curtsy as the other blonde girl stared daggers at her.

_"Things like...what are you going to wear on your wedding night?"_ Meer's voice.

_"Remind me why that's your business?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"Lingerie?"_ Lacus's voice.

_"Or nothing at all?"_ Stellar's voice.

_"That's none of your business! You guys are so strange."_ Cagalli's voice.

_"You're the one that picked us to be your bridesmaids."_ Lacus's voice.

_"Yeah, don't remind me."_ Cagalli's voice.

_"Okay, next question. What does Athrun mean to you?"_ Stellar's voice

_"You expect me to explain that in a few words?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"You can use as many words as you like,"_ Lacus's voice.

_"I don't think it could be explained in words. He means everything to me. He saved me from myself."_ Cagalli's voice.

"You really mean that?" asked Athrun.

"Of course I do!" snapped Cagalli.

"Don't worry, Athrun. She's just mad because we fooled her," explained Stellar.

"She'll get over it," said Kira. "Eventually." The room laughed again.

_"That's so sweet."_ Stellar's voice.

_"Anymore weird questions?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"One, and then you're done. We promise."_ Meer's voice.

_"Okay, but this better be it."_ Cagalli's voice.

_"What are the three things that you love most about Athrun?"_ Meer's voice.

_"Well, he's so kind. And he's very protective of me. He'd surely give up anything to make sure I'm happy. He's taken away my pain. What isn't there to love?"_ Cagalli's voice.

_"That's nice and all, but what do you love about him...physically?"_ Stellar's voice.

"Now I understand why you're angry," said Athrun with a grin. "They asked you the same questions they asked me." Cagalli said nothing as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What, did you say something you didn't want me to hear?" asked Athrun. "Or that you didn't mean?"

"No..." answered Cagalli. She turned to Stellar and raised her fist. "Stellar, I should kill you!" Stellar grinned sweetly.

_"Physically? I...well, um..."_ Cagalli's voice.

_"What? Can't you say it? Because if you can't, I hope you'll enjoy some green highlights on your wedding day."_ Stellar's voice.

_"Okay, I'll answer it! Just put the dye down!"_ Cagalli's voice. A slight pause. _"He has gorgeous, deep, emerald eyes that I could stare into for hours, has the nicest smile I've ever seen. It's so warm and comforting. And..."_ Cagalli's voice. A mumble.

_"What was the last one? I didn't catch it."_ Lacus's voice.

_"Okay, I'll say it again..."_ Cagalli's voice. Another mumble.

_"Pardon?"_ Meer's voice.

_"HE HAS A REALLY NICE ASS, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? WILL YOU STOP ASKING ME ALL THESE QUESTIONS?" _Cagalli's voice.

Stellar pressed stop on the stereo. Both Athrun and Cagalli's faces were bright red.

"Woah..." laughed Kira. "Must have took something terrible to get that out of Cagalli!"

"It did," said Stellar. "We threatened her with green hair dye!"

"I'm sad I missed it!" laughed Miriallia.

"It was hilarious!" giggled Meer. "And it was better the second time!" The room continued laughing.

"You just wait until you get engaged, Stellar," said Cagalli through clenched teeth. "You just wait." She smiled.

"Well, that was entertaining," said Athrun with a smile. He looked at Lacus, who motioned for everyone to give them a moment alone.

As they were walking up the stairs, Lacus turned to Kira.

"So are you going to keep that thing on?" she asked.

"Yes, I like it..." he said somewhat guiltily. "As long as it's not a problem with you."

"I love you for you, Kira, not what you wear," said Lacus with a smile. He smiled back and kissed her.

"Cagalli?" asked Athrun as he gently touched her cheek.

"What?" she snapped. "You probably think I'm some idiot now!"

"Not in the slightest," said Athrun with a grin. "You heard what I said, didn't you? You probably think I'm some idiot."

"I've always thought that somewhere deep down, to be honest," said Cagalli. Athrun looked a little taken aback by her answer. She smiled gently. "But I don't think you're more of an idiot after that recording."

"Thanks," he smiled. He wasn't too sure if that was a compliment or not. "I think." He wrapped his arms around her tightly and she curled up against his chest.

"The day after tomorrow is the big day," he said, a hint of anxiousness in his voice.

"I know..." she answered.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day, Cagalli," he explained. "I've wanted you to be mine since you held that gun in my face after you thought I killed Kira. And now, you finally will be mine." Cagalli said nothing and nodded. She just loved hearing the sound of Athrun's voice. She remembered the day she fell in love with him like it was yesterday.

"I love you, Cagalli Yula Athha."

"I love you, too, Athrun Zala."

Athrun kissed her gently on the cheek. Part of Cagalli wanted to grab him and kiss him full on, but the other half of her wanted to save that first kiss for their wedding day. "Only 2 more days."

"Hey Athrun?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"So what are we doing when Shinn and Stellar get engaged?" Athrun chuckled.

"We'll think of something good, I promise," smiled Athrun. He let her go and they both stood up. He pushed a few of the blonde wisps out of her vision. "Now it's time to get you up to bed."

"Okay." He strongly resisted the urge to kiss her on the lips, though he almost lost the battle. He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her.

"I love you, sweetheart, good night." He was half surprised she didn't punch him but smiled gently at him.

"Night," she whispered as she walked up the stairs.

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/2011**


	19. Tomorrow's The Day

**Chapter 19: Tomorrow's the Day**

Tap…Tap…Tap…

Cagalli was awoken from her slumber by gentle tapping noises on her window. She let out a long yawn and glanced around the room at the other girls who were all still asleep (even Lacus, who was normally up at daybreak, but last night was a long night). Cagalli, annoyed and confused, rolled over, pushed her covers to the floor, and walked over to her window.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you're doing this early in the-?" After wiping the sleep from her vision, she saw who it was that was causing the noise. There stood Athrun in the early morning dew covered grass, a smile on his face and another rock in his hand. His green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"I love you too," he said with a smile. Slightly embarrassed, Cagalli opened the sliding glass door and walked out onto the balcony, her feet bare and wearing nothing but her nightclothes.

"Well, what do you want, Mr. Zala? It's awfully early," she said with a somewhat annoyed grin. Cagalli had perfected that annoyed grin. Athrun found it absolutely adorable.

"I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow's our wedding day, Miss Yula Athha," he said with a soft smile. "Only one more day, Cagalli-Chan."

"I know," she answered. She flashed him a gentle smile back. "I've been waiting for this day for the longest time."

"You should come down here with me," said Athrun. "We should spend some time together before everyone else gets up."

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll be down in a second." With a last wave, she walked back in her room, slid the balcony door closed, and searched for an outfit to change into. As she flung through her clothes, she remembered the eventful shopping spree from awhile before. She picked up the bright orange sundress that Lacus, Meer, and Stellar had picked out for her. She made a doubtful face as she argued with herself in her head.

"Oh what the hell," she muttered, defeated. She quickly slipped out of her nightclothes and into the sundress, carefully tying the ribbon on the side. She combed her fingers through her hair. Since her hair was so short and shaggy, that's all she really needed to do to it to make it look presentable. As she slid on a pair of Lacus's high heels (they wore the same size), she took one last glance in the mirror, and walked out her bedroom door and down the staircase.

"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?" It was Lacus, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a proud smile placed upon her lips. "I thought you hated that dress?"

"Well," Cagalli paused. "I lied." Lacus giggled. "So when did you get up?"

"Oh about 10 minutes ago," she lied, faking a yawn. She heard everything that went on between Athrun and Cagalli on the balcony. She was a very light sleeper. "Going out with Athrun, I take it?"

"Yes," replied Cagalli. "Do you honestly think I'd wear this dress anywhere else?"

"No," answered Lacus truthfully. "And I honestly don't think you'd be wearing my heels anywhere else." She smiled at Cagalli who smiled back, somewhat embarrassed. "Well, have fun. I should start breakfast for everyone. Do you know when you're coming back?"

"No idea," said Cagalli. "We shouldn't be gone that long…"

"Okay," smiled Lacus. "See you later!" Cagalli flashed her a smile and a wave before grabbing her coat off the rack and shutting the door behind herself as she walked outside.

There was Athrun, standing next to his jet black sports car. A blush formed on Cagalli's cheeks as she walked over to him.

"Hello," he said with smile. Cagalli said nothing, but stared at him admirably for a second or two. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she replied. He opened her door and let her slide into the front seat. After he made sure she was in, he shut the door, walked over to his side, and got in. Athrun was a real gentleman when it came to these kinds of things such as holding doors open. The little things. To him, chivalry definitely wasn't dead. He believed a lady should be treated like a princess, and that was exactly how he treated her. He stuck the key in the ignition and started the car.

They didn't drive a very long way before they ended up at the shore. Cagalli opened the car door, got out, and looked around.

"The beach?" she asked. "In December?" It was strange, yes, but very romantic with the foam tipped waves crashing up against the shore.

"Yeah," said Athrun with a smile, shutting his car door. "I just thought we should spend some special time together before our wedding day." He pulled out an orange flower from his coat pocket and placed it gently in Cagalli's hair. She blushed furiously as he smoothed her shaggy hair with his hand. He laughed at her.

"Just what's so funny?" she snapped.

"It's nothing," he grinned, still chuckling a little. "It's just, you're turning more and more into a girl each and every day." As he looked at her, he noticed she was slightly taller. He glanced down to her feet and smiled. "And are those Lacus's sandals?"

"Yes…" replied Cagalli. "And what the hell do you think I am?" she asked in a huff. Athrun loved the fiery look she got in her golden eyes when she was irritated.

"A very beautiful bride," he paused. He smiled and started again. "My very beautiful bride." She felt her anger melting away like ice cream on a hot day as he took her small hands in his.

Kira walked lazily down the stairs into the kitchen where he found Lacus sitting at the table. There was no denying her beauty in the early morning December sun, her pale complexion glowing. Her coral colored hair streamed in curls over her shoulders and down her spine. He grinned as he walked over to her.

"Good morning," he smiled, kissing her gently on her cheek.

"Good morning!" she beamed. She glanced him up and down, noticing that he was wearing a white tank top and boxer shorts. "Decided to change out of the lingerie?" she asked. Kira nodded, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. Lacus let out a soft giggle.

"So are Athrun and Cagalli gone already?" he asked, grabbing a coffee mug from the cupboard.

"Yeah," answered Lacus. "They left about half an hour ago."

"Any idea where they went?" he asked.

"Not for sure," she replied truthfully. "But I think they went out to the beach." She sipped lightly at her coffee. "Cagalli even wore my sandals." Kira laughed.

"I figured they'd be gone," he continued. "Especially since the wedding's tomorrow."

"I know!" said Lacus with a wide smile. "I'm so happy for them!" Kira said nothing as he sat in the chair next to her with his coffee mug.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"It's nothing, really," answered Kira with a sigh. He rose the coffee cup to his lips, letting the steaming hot liquid seep through. "I'm just nervous."

"You're nervous?" repeated Lacus. "Why? Don't you think Athrun will treat her well?"

"Of course I do," answered Kira truthfully. "He's a great guy. We've been friends for so many years."

"Then what's got you?" asked Lacus as she gently laid her hand on his arm.

"She's my sister," explained Kira. "My only family member left. She's such a great person, and a very strong girl. She deserves only the best, and I want only the best for her."

"Kira, Athrun is the best for her," Lacus reminded him, stroking his arm gently with her fingertips. "He treats her like a princess and he loves her with everything in him. I promise you that Cagalli is in good hands."

"I know," said Kira with a smile. "He'll treat her like the princess she is."

"Cagalli," whispered Athrun as he stared down into her golden eyes. She stared straight back into his. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Me too," she replied quietly. He gently stroked the back of her palms with his thumbs. His gentle touch made her shiver.

"I can't believe it's tomorrow…" he whispered. He smiled at her. "Tomorrow, you'll be my bride." The thought of this made her smile ever so slightly. Being around him just made her smile. She remembered the days when smiling wasn't part of her regimen. Back in Orb, back in the desert…days weren't happy back then. There were times when she just wanted to give up, but Athrun gave her a reason. A reason to smile, a reason to push on with life, a reason to love. She said nothing as the soft ocean breeze blew past them, the smell of salt water consuming the morning air. Athrun understood her silence. They had gotten to the point in their relationship where they could communicate without the use of words.

"I love you, Cagalli," he said confidently. "With everything I am, with everything in me."

"I love you too," she replied softly.

"I'll never do anything to hurt you, I never want you to be hurt again, hell, I'll do everything in my power to stop you from getting hurt by anyone ever again," Athrun explained. "I love you so much, Cagalli…" As he bent down, he strongly resisted the urge to kiss her on the lips. _"Just one more day…"_ he thought as he kissed her lightly on the forehead. _"One more day until I finally get to do all I've dreamed about with this girl I couldn't stop thinking about since she held that gun to my face…"_

"It feels like my dreams really are coming true…" whispered Cagalli. At first, she was unaware that the words escaped her lips. It was more of a spoken thought than anything. Athrun held her close.

"Mine too," he whispered back, tangling his fingers in her soft hair. They stood there for a couple of minutes in silence before Athrun broke it.

"Well, we should probably get back to the house," he said somewhat sadly. He loved spending time alone with Cagalli.

"Okay," said Cagalli somewhat sadly as well. Athrun laced his fingers through hers.

"Tomorrow's the wedding, love, " he whispered. He paused, then continued. "Mrs. Cagalli Zala." She said nothing but felt the warm blush form at her cheeks.

"Mrs. Cagalli Zala…"she thought to herself with a smile as she got into his car. "I could get used to that…"

**Author's Note:** Well, I hope you guys liked it :D Next chapter will be the night time party before the wedding. Chaos shall ensue! Please Review!

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/2011**


	20. The Night Before Part 1

**Chapter 20: The Night Before Part 1**

The jet black sports car came to a stop in front of the large Zala house. Lacus, who was walking around the sitting room, heard the car out in the driveway.

"They must be back now," she said to herself with a smile as she pulled the crème colored curtains back. The sunlight poured through them and into the room. She watched the happy couple get out of the car and walk up the house, their fingers laced and bright smiles on their faces.

_"I'm so happy for them,"_ thought Lacus as she continued to watch them. She waved at Athrun and Cagalli, who waved back at sighed happily. _"I don't think I've ever seen Cagalli - or Athrun - so happy. The love they share is a beautiful thing…"_ Inside of her, Lacus had a longing to have that same kind of happiness. She wouldn't admit it, but she was wishing strongly for a proposal from Kira.

"Hello! We're back!" said Athrun gleefully as he shut the door behind him. Shinn stood at the top of the stairs. He was still in his nightclothes and his black hair was messy and unkempt. He stretched out his arms with a long yawn.

"Still in bed at this time of day, Shinn?" asked Athrun. Shinn started at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"It's 4 in the afternoon," answered Athrun with a smile. Shinn made a grunting noise, but said nothing more on the subject. Therefore, he changed it.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked arrogantly as he wiped the sleep from his crimson eyes.

"Cagalli and I were having a little alone time together," said Athrun proudly. He paused so he could flash a smile at Cagalli. "Before our wedding." Dearka whistled.

"Did you guys have fun?" asked Lacus. Cagalli nodded. Lacus leaned her head close to Cagalli's so she could whisper in her ear.

"You have to give me all the details later," Lacus whispered to Cagalli with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will," Cagalli whispered back.

"I'm hungry!" whined Kira, who was standing at Lacus's side.

"We've got a huge dinner ready in the kitchen," said Lacus.

"Yeah," added Flay. "All of us girls were in the kitchen all day preparing it."

"Thanks, girls," said Athrun with a grin. "We're really grateful."

"Mhm," said Cagalli in agreement. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"It wasn't," smiled Meer. "It was fun, actually."

"The guys kept trying to get in our way," explained Stellar.

"Some of them were pretty good at helping, actually," corrected Miriallia. "I never knew Sai and Nicol knew how to cook! I was pretty impressed!" She smiled at the both of them, who blushed at the unexpected praise.

"Yes, Sai's a great cook," added Flay. "And Nicol is, too!" The girls paused to clap for the both of them.

"There were a few guys who _did_ get in the way though," said Meer. Her eyes darted straight to Dearka and Kira, who quickly averted their gazes to the floor.

"I think Dearka ate more food than he made," giggled Miriallia.

"Can you blame me?" he asked, defending himself. "You girls know how to make some good food." Everyone laughed.

"Why thank you," said Miriallia, faking a curtsey.

"I know of a certain boy that kept trying to lick the spoon every time I turned away from it," said Lacus. Kira's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.

"I like chocolate chip cookie batter," he explained sheepishly. Everyone laughed again. Lacus smiled and kissed Kira gently on the cheek.

"As long as you're eating the cookie dough and not wearing the lingerie, I'm fine with it," giggled Lacus. Kira's eyes widened.

"I thought you said you loved me for me and not for what I wear!" Kira stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

"I do, I do," she reassured him playfully. She kissed him on the cheek again. "And I always will." Kira smiled.

"Okay," he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"The only one that wasn't in the kitchen all day was Shinn," continued Stellar. "Which was probably a good thing."

''What makes you say that?" asked Shinn, somewhat angered by her last remark.

"You get pretty frustrated when things don't work out your way," explained Stellar.

"I do not!" he whined.

"Yes, you do!" added Meer. "I definitely would not want to see you baking a cake!"

"Why not?" he asked.

"There would be batter all over the walls and egg shells everywhere!"

"Besides, you'd probably end up getting angry at Kira or someone," said Stellar. "And there are plenty of objects in the kitchen that can cause harm, like rolling pins, forks, knives, pots, pans, sp-?"

"Do we have to keep giving him ideas?" Kira interrupted. "He scares me enough without an object that can cause harm!" Everyone laughed again.

"Well, we probably should get eating," said Meer. "Before it gets cold."

Everyone made their way into the dining room. It was beautifully set up, thanks to the girls. They wanted the feast on the eve of the wedding to be a good one, so they made sure everything was perfect.

It was a candlelit dinner, the white candles glowing in little glass orbs in the center of the table. The table cloth was a deep green in color that Cagalli believed matched Athrun's eyes perfectly.

The group sat down and began eating. Everything went smoothly, as the girls had hoped.

"Wow," exclaimed Athrun after swallowing a bite of food. "You girls have really outdone yourselves!"

"This is great!" said Cagalli in appreciation.

"We're glad you like it," said Lacus with a smile. The girls nodded.

Dinner was over in about an hour and a half. After that, everyone pretty much went their separate ways. Party games were being played in every direction, music was being blared, people socializing…it was a typical party before a wedding. After talking with the group for awhile, Cagalli just wanted some time to herself to think and sort out her thoughts before the big day, so she headed upstairs. But before she made it all the way up, she ran into Athrun, his eyes big and curious.

"Cagalli?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

"Up to my room," she answered.

"Something wrong, Cagalli-Chan?" he asked as he took her hands in his.

"No, it's nothing," she answered as she brought her eyes up to meet his. "I just want to gather my thoughts…tomorrow's the big day, you know…"

"How could I forget?" asked Athrun with a smirk. He rubbed her hands with his thumbs gently. "In less than 24 hours, you will be Mrs. Cagalli Zala." The sound of the name sent a tingle down her spine. It was something she had been longing for for a long time.

"I know," she said is almost a whisper. Athrun kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I'll see you later, love," he said to her with a smile. With one last admiring glance at his bride to be, he continued down the stairs.

Love…that nickname was something new to her, but she had to admit that she didn't dislike it. She continued up to her room, walked in, closed the door behind her and sprawled out on her bed. She didn't even bother turning the lights on.

She could see the moonlight shining through her window making patterns on her walls and floor, which, for some reason, gave her an unusually calm feeling that one doesn't usually feel so close to a wedding. She closed her amber eyes and began to catch her breath, her thoughts entering her mind like a whirlwind.

**This Chapter Updated: 6/8/2011**


	21. The Night Before Part 2

**Chapter 21: The Night Before Part 2**

Kira glanced around the teenager-filled room, searching for the familiar amber eyes that he wanted to talk to, but they were nowhere to be found. He turned to Lacus.

"Where's Cagalli?" he asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I didn't see her go anywhere." As Athrun came down the stairs, Kira stopped him.

"Hey, do you know where Cagalli is?" asked Kira. Athrun nodded.

"Yeah, she went up to her room," he answered simply.

"Oh, okay," said Kira. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Athrun with a smile.

Kira trotted his way up the stairs and opened the door to Cagalli's room. The moonlight danced on the walls and floors, giving the dark room a source of light. He walked towards the bed closest to the balcony, which was Cagalli's, and stood still for a moment. Sprawled out on the emerald sheets was Cagalli, her shaggy blonde hair fanned out around her head. She was still wearing the bright orange sundress from earlier. Kira smiled at the fact that she still hadn't changed out of it, despite the fact she hated it so much. He quietly made his way over to her and sat beside her small frame.

"It's the big day tomorrow," he whispered under his breath.

"I know," answered Cagalli quietly.

"Nervous?" he asked. Cagalli was silent for a minute before answering.

"Yes…"

"Why?" asked Kira He stroked a piece of her blonde hair away from her cheek. He smiled gently. "I thought we solved all of this when you flipped out last time." Cagalli groaned as she pushed her face into her pillow. He rubbed her back gently with his hand.

"It's not about stuff like that this time," she answered, her voice muffled by the pillow. Kira waited for her to answer, but she didn't.

"Then what is it about this time?" he prodded.

"It's stupid," she sighed. "Really, it is."

"Cagalli, just tell me what it is," he pleaded. "I'm sure if I knew what you're so worried about, I'd be able to help you out." Silence. Cagalli took a deep breath.

"You're going to laugh," she said in a low voice.

"No, I won't," he assured her. "I promise." She took another deep breath.

"Well," she began. She stopped herself.

"Come on, Cagalli."

"What if I trip and fall over my dress?" she blurted out. "I'm definitely not used to walking in heels! What if I forget to say 'I do?'! What if I forget to breathe and I die? What if-?" Kira interrupted her with giggles that he failed to conceal. She frowned, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You promised…"

"I'm sorry," apologized Kira. He regained his composure. "But seriously, Cagalli. You shouldn't worry about what you can't control." He wrapped his arms around her thin frame. "Your wedding will, by far, be the happiest day of your life. And the happiest day of Athrun's. Even if you trip over your dress or forget to breathe." Cagalli shot a glare at him.

"Sorry," he snickered. "I had to slip that in there. Honestly though, tomorrow will be perfect if you don't beat yourself up thinking about how bad it could possibly be."

"I guess you're right," she agreed. Kira hugged her tightly.

"So, are you ready to go back down to your party?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, I am," she answered. He turned to walk out of her room. "Oh…Kira?"

"Yes?"

"Um, who's giving me away?" she asked nervously. "Our parents are gone." He patted her cheek gently with his hand.

"You'll find out tomorrow," he assured her. "Don't fret about that, little sister." He held out his hand to her. "Ready to go downstairs now?" he asked. "It is your party, you know."

"Yeah, let's go," she replied as she slipped her hand in his. "Thanks, Kira."

The party was still running smoothly, to Cagalli's content. Everyone turned around from what they were doing to look at Cagalli coming down the stairs with the help of Kira, a smile plastered on her face.

"Are you all right, dear?" asked Athrun, somewhat worried.

"I'm fine, don't worry," she beamed. Athrun cupped her face in his hand and kissed her forehead gently.

"That's great," said Athrun with a smile. A camera flashed brightly.

"What was that for?" shouted Cagalli as she rubbed at her eyes. "Are you trying to blind me or something on the night before my wedding?" Lacus giggled.

"Of course not, dear," said Lacus, showing Cagalli her camera. "We need a pre-wedding picture of the two lovers!" Cagalli growled through clenched teeth. The rest of the company laughed.

"Okay, but only that one…" said Cagalli, giving in to her best friend.

"Where would you be without me?" asked Lacus jokingly as she hugged Cagalli,

"God only knows…' said Cagalli as she hugged her back.

"Wow, it's really getting late," noted Miriallia. "It's 1 AM."

"Is that really late, or really early?" asked Sai. Flay elbowed him in the stomach.

"Let's not get technical now, Sai," she said with a smile. "The point is tomorrow's a big day, and the bride and groom need all the sleep they can get for their big day."

"Good point," said Stellar. "No one wants a bride with bags under her eyes!" Everyone laughed except for Cagalli, who looked worried.

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Kira, remembering the conversation he had with her earlier. "You won't have bags under your eyes if you go to sleep now anyways…"

"Even if you did have bags under your eyes, you'd still make a beautiful bride," said Athrun as he laced his fingers through hers. A soft blush spread across Cagalli's cheeks.

"Well, let's get going to bed now, shall we?" asked Meer. She yawned and stretched her arms. "I'm exhausted." Everyone nodded in agreement. Nicol flipped off the lights, and everyone walked upstairs with the exception of Athrun and Cagalli. Lacus turned around at the top of the stairwell.

"Now don't stay up too late, you two," she said with a smile.

"We won't, Lacus," promised Athrun. With a final smile, she turned on her heel and walked towards the room where the girls were getting ready for bed.

"So," said Athrun, looking down into Cagalli's eyes. The room was dark, but her amber eyes shone like liquid Topaz in the moonlight. "Tomorrow's the day…"

"I know," said Cagalli, not taking her eyes away from his.

"Are you still sure this is what you want?" he asked, his tone gentle.

"Of course I am!" she answered hastily. "I've never wanted anything more in my life, Athrun." He smiled at her.

"Only a few more hours of being Cagalli Yula Athha," he whispered against her ear which made her tremble. "And a lifetime of being Cagalli Zala." She almost forgot to breathe as he pressed his lips softly against her neck. He gingerly slid his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, a smile spread across his lips. He rested his chin in her golden hair as she rested her head against his chest. She was still weak in the knees from his last action, and now this? He laughed quietly.

"What is it?" she asked, somewhat annoyed.

"It's just that," he whispered. "If that's your reaction to me kissing you on the neck, what's going to be your reaction when we kiss on the lips?" She blushed furiously. She was thankful for the room being dark, Athrun couldn't tell how red her cheeks were.

"No jokes, Zala," she retorted.

"Or better yet," he continued. "When we sleep in the same room? In the same bed?" Cagalli felt her face instantly get hot. She said nothing as she pushed him away from her.

"That might not happen, considering the way you're acting," said Cagalli, her arms folded across her chest. "Jerk." He laughed again.

"You're so cute when you're angry." He pulled her in towards him again before she could react. She opened her mouth to retort, but he stopped her with his index finger. He gazed down into her eyes, again fighting the urge to kiss her fully. It was harder than ever now, but he had to keep reminding himself. Just a few more hours…not even a day left. He kissed her on the forehead.

"We better be going upstairs now," he said somewhat sorrowfully. He didn't want to let her go. "Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you, too," said Cagalli. She turned from him and trudged towards her room. "Only a little while longer…"

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/11**


	22. Getting Ready

**Chapter 22: Getting Ready**

Cagalli rolled over onto her side and looked idly at the alarm clock. 6:42 AM. She had only gotten about 5 and half hours of sleep, but it was better than none. She glanced around the room. All of the other girls were still engulfed in deep slumber. She had two options. She could either try and go back to sleep, which she thought completely unlikely, or she could start getting ready a bit earlier than expected. After a quick moment's thought, she pulled herself from under the emerald comforter, slid her slippers on, and exited the room quietly, leaving the other girls to their dreaming.

Athrun rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. The large blue numbers reading 6:47 AM seemed to mock him. It had felt like an eternity had gone by, but in reality, it had only been a little over 5 hours. He groaned quietly, as not to wake the other guys.

"Well, might as well go back to sleep," he grumbled as he rolled over. He shut his eyes and again attempted to sleep.

Cagalli slid out of her nightclothes as she started the water for her bath. The washroom linoleum tiles were cold under her bare feet. She opened the cupboard under the sink, pulled out an amethyst towel and washcloth and set it on the edge of the massive

_"I promised myself I wouldn't over think things today…"_ thought Cagalli as she sat herself on the side of the bathtub, waiting for it to fill. She pulled her hair off her shoulders and secured it with a pair of hair sticks._ "I have to remember what Kira said. If I think everything's going to be fine, then everything will be perfect."_

She leaned forward, turned the water off, and slid herself slowly into the steaming water. _"It's going to be a long day…"_

Athrun sat up and looked at the clock again. 7:03 AM. He pressed his palms against his eyes. There was no way that time was actually going this slow. _"Well, I figure I could go get something to eat now. It's still early, but oh well."_ He kicked on his slippers, threw his robe over his shoulders, and left the room as quietly as he could.

He walked down the staircase, through the main hall and into the kitchen. He saw Lacus moving about the kitchen, all too gracefully.

"Good morning, Athrun," she beamed. She was still in her pearl nightgown, her coral hair spilling in waves over her shoulders and down her back. The early morning sunlight made her pale skin look like marble. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good morning to you, too Lacus," he replied with a smile. He hugged her back. "Are you always up this early?"

"Usually," she answered. She walked over to the coffee maker. "Do you want some? I just made fresh."

"Sure," he replied as he leaned against the counter. She smiled as she pulled two yellow mugs from the cupboard. "So are you nervous about today?"

"Extremely," answered Athrun honestly. He sighed softly.

"Well, that's to be expected, I guess," said Lacus as she poured the steaming dark liquid into the mug. "But it's this first step that will let you and Cagalli start a life together."

"I know," Athrun smiled. "You have no idea how long I've been thinking about this day, dreaming about this day…and now it's finally here."

"It must seem really surreal," said Lacus as she handed the yellow cup to Athrun. She sighed. She yearned for the day her own wedding would come around, whenever that would be. It had been a lifelong dream of hers.

"It does," he admitted as he sipped lightly at his coffee. "But I'm so glad today's the day. One more day, and I think I'd go insane."

"I think she would too," said Lacus with a giggle. She smiled sincerely at her ex-fiancée. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Lacus, that means a lot," he smiled.

"No problem," said Lacus. She looked at the clock above the sink. 8:02 AM. "Well, I think I should probably go upstairs now and help Cagalli start to get ready…"

Cagalli got herself out of the bathtub and put her robe over her bare skin. She glanced into the giant vanity over the sink. Her reflection staring back at her upset her. She didn't see herself as beautiful, she saw herself as average. Just normal…Her shaggy blonde hair was long enough to fall over her shoulders now, her deep topaz eyes shining through her bangs. It was her wedding, wasn't she supposed to be beautiful on today of all days? She sighed and left the bathroom. Her footsteps echoed down the long, narrow hallway as she walked. She stopped in front of her bedroom door and turned the handle, revealing a room full of excited girls.

"So, Cagalli…" said Stellar. She was obviously holding something behind her back.

"Yes?" asked Cagalli, raising an eyebrow skeptically. The girls around her grinned evilly as they pulled out their secret weapons: Curling Irons. Cagalli winced.

"Take a seat," she continued with that same evil smile. She motioned to the leather lounge chair. "We've got a lot of work to do." Cagalli groaned, but complied. She sat herself in the chair and waited for the torture to happen.

"We're making cute little ringlets," said Lacus in a sing-song voice as she wrapped a lock of Cagalli's golden hair around the iron. Cagalli winced again.

"Don't worry, you're going to be absolutely gorgeous," said Meer, also wrapping a piece of Cagalli's hair around a different curling iron.

"And besides," said Miriallia with a grin. "Athrun will love it." Cagalli's cheeks turned pink at the thought.

"I've got the hairspray," said Flay. She handed the can to Lacus.

"Thank you," beamed Lacus. She held out another curling iron. "Want to help?"

"Sure," said Flay as she took the iron from Lacus.

"With this many of us, we'll have you done in no time," assured Stellar, proud of her perfect curl that she created.

"Good," said Cagalli thankfully. "You know how much I hate this stuff…"

"We know, dear, we know," said Lacus with a soft smile as she formed another curl.

"Hey, Kira?" asked Athrun. "Can you do me a favor?" He held out a shoebox tied with a bright red ribbon.

"Sure, what is it?" asked Kira.

"UGH THIS STUPID TIE!" shouted Nicol, frustrated. All the boys in the room turned to face him. This was definitely out of character for the calm, usually mellow green haired boy.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Dearka. Nicol waved the limp green ribbon at him.

"IT WILL NOT TIE!" he continued, disgruntled. His friends began to shy away from him. "Around the post, yes, of course, a million times yes…but around my neck? NO!"

"Come here," laughed Sai, slightly amused. "I'll tie it before you kill yourself." He grabbed the ribbon and tied it around Nicol's neck.

"Guess it works for me," said Sai with a smile.

"Thanks," said Nicol, somewhat embarrassed due to his outburst.

"So, back to this," said Athrun, smiling. He held out the box again. "Mind going down the hall and giving this to your sister?"

"Sure, I'll do it," said Kira, smiling back. He walked down the hallway towards the girls' room and knocked on the door.

"Someone's here," said Lacus as she heard the knocking. She set her curling iron on the buearu. She opened the door to see Kira.

"Hi Kira!" she smiled. She hugged him tightly.

"Hey Lacus," he smiled back. She released him and stepped out of his way so he could enter.

"What's that?" she asked, acknowledging the package in his hands.

"It's for Cagalli, from Athrun," he replied. He shot his sister a grin as he walked over to her.

"So many curls…" he laughed.

"Don't push it," she growled. He smiled again as he handed her the shoebox.

"Athrun told me to give this to you," he said. Cagalli examined the exterior of the box carefully. It had a small note attached, telling her not to open it until later when she was alone. Curiosity struck her. Handing her a present that she couldn't open right away? That's crazy.

"Tell him thanks," said Cagalli. She pulled away from the curling irons and got an envelope out of her drawer. "Oh, can you give him this?"

"Sure can," said Kira. He kissed his little sister on the forehead. "I'll see you later." After kissing Lacus goodbye, he walked back to the guys' room.

"Hey Athrun," said Kira. He waved the envelope Cagalli had given him. "This is for you." He handed him the envelope. Athrun smiled as he opened it.

Dearest Athrun,

I know this isn't much…it's nothing great or expensive or even nice for that matter…but I want you to have this. This locket came in a box that Kira gave me, holding things from our childhood. It's the only real memory of my childhood that I have, and I want you to have it. I know it's pretty strange for a guy to wear a locket, but really…I just want it to be with you.

Love,

Cagalli

He ran his finger lightly over the locket. "I love you, too. Cagalli…"

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/11**


	23. Memories

**Chapter 23: Memories**

Cagalli stared at the little box she held in her hands. She reread the note silently. _"Open when you're alone. Love always, Athrun."_ It struck her curiosity. Why would he want her to open it alone? Lacus read the note over Cagalli's shoulder and gave a signal for the other girls to leave the room. They caught on and got up to leave.

"Well, we'll leave you alone to open your gift," said Lacus. She winked at Cagalli and lowered her voice to an audible, excited whisper.

"You have to tell me what it is later, okay?" she beamed.

"I promise," said Cagalli as she smiled back at Lacus. Lacus gave her a final smile before exiting the room.

Cagalli removed the red ribbon from the box and took the lid off carefully. Inside was a stack of pieces of notebook paper that looked as if they had been ripped from a journal of sorts. The scrawling on some of them was barely legible. They were tied together with another silky red ribbon. Again, there was a note on top:

_Cagalli,_

_I want you to have these._

_Love Always,_

_Athrun_

Cagalli tilted her head, confused. She untied the ribbon and began reading.

I'm on Earth now after my Aegis crashed. I immediately assumed this island was deserted…and that was the wrong assumption. I was attacked after leaving the cockpit by a boy with shaggy blonde hair wielding a gun. I pulled out my gun and began firing back. His combat skills were exceptional. After finally gaining the upper hand, I pinned the boy beneath me. I pulled out my sharpened blade and held it to his throat. I was ready to make that fatal slice…but that bloodcurdling scream stopped me. A girl. It was a girl…I stood, baffled, over her. I was awoken from my stupor by her cold stare and harsh tone. "Get the hell off me," was all she said. I did, but in return, I grabbed her gun clip and threw it into the ocean. I bound her arms and legs with rope, leaving her as no possible threat to me. The rain's picking up. I should probably go check on her.

_Athrun Zala_

When I went out to check on her, I found her lying face up in a water-filled ditch. She had actually tried to slither her way across the island to escape. She definitely has a lot of nerve. She (rudely, might I add) asked for help, and, being the nice guy I am, I lifted her from the trench. I felt bad for her. She looked ridiculous with all that mud caked on her skin. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw a crab crawl from under her blonde hair. She hobbled away, frustrated. I asked her where she was going, and she replied simply that she wanted to wash off the mud. Sighing, I pulled my knife out from my uniform and cut her arms and legs free. She was surprised. She isn't a threat to me anyway, not unarmed anyway. I told her of the stray crab crawling in her clothing, and, to my surprise (and complete embarrassment), she lifted her shirt high and freed the small creature. She could've at least warned me…I mean, her breasts were practically visible. I felt my face get hot and turned around quickly. I honestly can't believe I mistook her for a boy…

_Athrun Zala_

After hanging the girl's soaked clothes next to the fire we started, I offered her food. She was obviously starving. She refused, due to the fact it's food from the 'enemy'. Is there really a difference? It's all food. Besides, I'm eating it too. I didn't feel the need to argue with her. After a few moments of silence, she tightened the blanket around her bare frame and agreed to eat. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable by watching her, so I figured now would be the time to write this.

_Athrun Zala_

We got into a heated conversation about war and I lost it. I told this girl about my mother…and how she died on Junius Seven. She acts as if ZAFT is wrong and fighting for nothing…Junius Seven was an agricultural PLANT where so many innocent people lost their lives. Men, women, children…my mother included. It's been such a long time since I've talked about that. Even though it was only a single sentence. A blunt, short sentence, it still hurt. It brought back painful memories of losing my mother. She made it sound like I'm fighting for nothing and I'm killing innocent people because I'm a soldier of ZAFT…I'm fighting to protect those I care about. She walked to the entrance of the cave and is looking out into the rain. She's probably upset, too…

_Athrun Zala_

She took my gun from me while I was sleeping. I had only dozed for a few minutes, seconds even. Next thing I know, I'm staring down the barrel of my own gun. She looked at me with a fiery, tear filled gaze. Her eyes are something magical, a color I've never seen before. A brilliant, golden amber. My words could never give them justice. She choked back her tears, saying she had no choice but to shoot. She couldn't let that 'thing' (meaning my Aegis) take anymore innocent lives. I told her to go ahead and shoot. I'm a ZAFT pilot until the bitter end. I'm the one who operates the mobile suit. Get rid of the pilot, get rid of the problem. Her eyes filled with tears more and she shook a few times. I could see beads of sweat running down her brow. Giving up, she threw the gun against the wall. Her one mistake, she left the bolt open. Seriously, what kind of idiot does that? It misfired and grazed my shoulder slightly. It's nothing too serious, it wasn't my writing arm.

_Athrun Zala_

My radio in my Aegis started working again. Nicol came through. It was so comforting to hear the voice of a comrade. He said they're tracking my location so they can rescue me. No more being on this wretched island. He informed me of another signal close by, probably for the girl. Maybe she's part of the Earth Forces?

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli. Her name is Cagalli. After all this time, I learned her name. She said she's not with the Earth Forces, which is admittedly a relief. I won't have to face her on the battlefield. We parted ways a little while ago. I don't know why, but I really want to see her again.

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli Yula-Athha. _The Princess of ORB_…? Daughter of Uzumi Nara-Athha. Her voice rang into my ears, her face appeared on my monitors. How could she be ORB royalty?

_Athrun Zala_

I awoke in a stupor, finding myself in the Neutral colony of ORB. Cagalli. There she was, holding a gun, pointed directly at me, her golden eyes staring me down. I wanted to see her again, that's for sure, but definitely not under these circumstances. I killed Kira. I killed my best friend…how could I do such a monstrous thing? I know I promised Rau Le Creuset…but how could I do something so terrible to someone that called me a _friend_? Cagalli said she knew Kira. She saw his kindness, his caring nature. She saw how great of a person he really was, even though he didn't always think things through. It's good to hear that he hadn't changed since we parted ways. He was still that genuinely nice, naïve guy that I befriended years ago. By killing Kira, I hurt Cagalli terribly, I can read it in her eyes. It seems to be that she was in love with him…which brought on this urge to kill me. It made her more infuriated when she found out Kira was my best friend. It wasn't just a random, unfortunate killing. It was me, a nice guy as well, murdering his best friend on the battlefield. We were both in tears as she pressed the pistol to my throat. It hurts so much to hear her ask me 'why, why, why?'. I don't know why, okay? I don't know what the hell came over me…If she would've killed me when she had the chance, we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. I never would've killed Kira.

_Athrun Zala_

ZAFT came back for me. Cagalli led me out. I told her a 'thanks' was probably necessary, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. As I turned to leave, her hand stopped me. She pulled a necklace of sorts from under her shirt and strung it around my neck. She called it a Hau Maea Amulet and told me it would protect me. Even after I killed Kira, she still wanted me to have this? She looked away with tear-filled eyes and told me she didn't want anyone else to die. Cagalli, I promise that I'll always keep it near my heart.

_Athrun Zala_

Kira is still alive! We landed our suits on Earth, face to face, and hopped out of the cockpits. The Earth Forces stood around and watched skeptically as we walked towards each other. They raised their weapons. "He's not the enemy!" Kira assured them. "Just a friend." As we got within feet of each other, Cagalli ran out to us. Her blonde hair whipped in the wind as she ran. She was dressed in an ORB military uniform. After a moment of silence between Kira and I, we smiled at each other and shook hands. Cagalli placed one hand on my shoulder and one hand on Kira's. "You guys…are such idiots!" yelled Cagalli. When she looked up, I saw her smile. It's the first time I've ever seen her smile…I'm so glad that Kira is alive….and I'm so happy to be reunited with her again.

_Athrun Zala_

The colony of ORB is gone, blown to pieces by Uzumi Nara-Athha himself. Cagalli's here and safe, but in emotional shambles. Her father's gone, her only family member…it's to be expected. When I first met her on that island, I never thought that she would ever be able to be so sentimental…I never thought I'd see her cry. She was always so tough…it's hard to see her like this.

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli pulled Kira and I aside and asked if she could talk to us for a minute. We agreed. She looked sullen. "What is it?" asked Kira. She pulled out a tattered photograph of a beautiful brunette holding two newborns in her arms. "A photo?" asked Kira. "Of who?" Cagalli looked down and told him to check the other side. In the bottom corner, almost illegible scrawling said "Kira, Cagalli". Kira and I stood, baffled. "When I left ORB, my father told me I wouldn't be alone…" she told us. Her eyes filled with tears. "He said…that I would be with my brother!" I watched Kira's eyes grow wide. Kira and Cagalli are…twins? This is unbelievable…

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli and I stood on the lower balcony and glanced up at Kira and Lacus on the top balcony. "She really is something," said Cagalli. "Look at that mobile suit she got away with…" We watched Kira and Lacus grow closer. Cagalli looked away. "Don't you mind?" she asked. "She is your fiancée, after all." I had forgotten that Cagalli even knew about that. "Ex-fiancée," I told her. My father called of the engagement after the incident with the Freedom, but honestly, I would've called it off myself. Her eyes widened. "I'm an idiot, really," I told her with a smile. I'm a total idiot. My engagement to Lacus was completely arranged. Even though Lacus is a very sweet, nice, caring girl…she's only been a friend, and I've never saw her as anything more. Even though I care for her, I could never honestly say that I've ever been 'in love' with her. She's just a good friend. I've never felt the way I feel around Cagalli around Lacus…it's a completely different, new feeling and it's confusing me. I just know these feelings I have for Cagalli are the strongest things I've ever felt. We watched Lacus and Kira embrace. She was obviously crying. "My father…he's dead, Kira…" was all we heard. Cagalli and I both looked away from them sadly. I hope she'll be all right…

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli. Piloting the Strike Rouge. Admittedly, I'm skeptical. I told her how she couldn't go out there. It's so dangerous…I don't want her to die in the line of fire. I would never be able to take losing her…but her being as strong willed as she is, she won't back down. She insists on piloting the Strike Rouge out there on the battlefield. She said that Kira and I both take way too many risks out there, more risks than she ever would. She told us we needed to be protected. She said someone has to keep an eye on me, and that 'little brother' or hers, too. "Little brother?" I repeated. I teased her. "Couldn't he be your big brother?" She looked irritated. "No way," she replied. "He's definitely younger." Her eyes looked that magnificent golden. The fire behind them was breathtaking. "I can see that," I said with a smile. I noticed a blush form at Cagalli's cheeks. I smiled bigger and pulled her closer. "Athrun?" she asked. "You and I can protect each other," I said. We kissed. Even though it was just a peck, it was the most amazing feeling I've ever felt…so indescribably amazing…

_Athrun Zala_

The war is over. We can finally go back to some kind of normalcy…

_Athrun Zala_

Cagalli,

Tonight's the night. I'm proposing to you. I want you to be with me. Forever. I'm going to climb to your balcony, play the violin for you, then take you to the foyer where a fire will be blazing and champagne fizzing in their crystal glasses. Everything will be perfect.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

So I know the proposal didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. Not in the slightest. I was so nervous…and Kira spilled the secret before I even got a chance to ask you. But above and beyond all that, you still agreed to marry me. I'm so happy, Cagalli.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

I'm glad we came to a conclusion that would make you happy today. We'll save our first real, passionate kiss for our wedding day. I'll have to keep myself content with little pecks until then. Hopefully it's not too hard.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

Dance lessons. You have to love Lacus, don't you? Even though we both probably would've rather walked into a burning house than go dancing, we did it, and look, we both came out alive. And, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, it was fun. I can't believe I'd ever say that about dancing. Believe it or not, I'm not as graceful as I am on the battlefield. I think it was just being with you that made it so great. You make me happy. You just have to let me lead the steps and fall in and everything will be fine, I promise.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

Goodbye…? For two whole months? I'll miss you.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

I'm on my way back now. It'll be so great to see you again. It's been such a long time since I've been able to gaze into those mesmerizing eyes of yours.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

A date. Something we never really went on before getting engaged. You aren't supposed to do that, are you? Oh well, I guess we've never been your 'typical couple', right? Well, we went on one. Going to that little bookstore/coffee shop with you was the most fun I've had in awhile. Licking the whipped cream off your finger, you licking the whipped cream off mine, you drinking out of my straw when you had your own…Good times. You're so cute when you blush. And the look on your face when I gave you that book of Greek Gods and Goddesses that you wanted so badly was priceless. Your goodnight kiss was great, too.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

Food tasting is always important for a wedding. You can't just have any kind of food, you know? It was a good idea to do food tasting. I'm glad we got something that you like. And it wasn't something that will give anyone food poisoning, which is a plus. It's my top priority to make you happy.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

I hope you're having fun at your bachleorette party right now. The guys stole me away to come upstairs for my bachelor party, and admittedly, it wasn't that interesting until a little while ago. All of my friends came out in lingerie. And, mind you, all of them are guys. Shinn asked me some rather, er, embarrassing questions that I'm not going to disclose. Hope you aren't as miserable as I am.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

You gave me such a scare tonight. Running away at the rehearsal…I wanted to run after you, but I didn't. Kira told me to stay. I'm thankful for whatever he told you to make me come back to me. Please, don't ever scare me like that again, Cagalli-chan.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

They say that a person learns something new every day. The YuiNo gifts were something new to me. You sounded so educated when you talked about them. You remembered all of them, with the exception of fertility. How convenient. Someday, love. Someday.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

I knew there was something behind those questions of Shinn's…The playback was so embarrassing. I know this may sound mean, but I'm glad they got you, too. I wasn't the only one that sounded like a perverted idiot. Joking. Glad to hear I have a nice ass, Cagalli. But seriously, the 3 things you loved most about me were so sweet. Even though I heard them when you had me pinned to the floor. And oh yeah, we're definitely getting Shinn and Stellar back.

Love,

_Athrun_

Cagalli,

Just one more day, love, and you'll be Mrs. Cagalli Zala. I love the ring your name has to it. It just fits perfectly with mine attached on the end. The day at the beach today was beautiful. Our last little date before our wedding. I can't wait for tomorrow, even though I'm extremely nervous. Our first real kiss, our first time sleeping in the same bed…but I know everything will work out. I love you, Cagalli. And I want to be with you forever. I'll do everything I can to make that happen. I can't wait to see you walking down the aisle in that beautiful dress.

Love,

_Athrun_

A smile spread across Cagalli's lips. Her eyes filled with tears. That was the last of the letters. "Leave it to Athrun to do something this sweet…" she thought to herself as she put the letters back in the box and slid it under her bed. She walked out of the room to get her friends to continue getting ready.

**Author's Note**: The things in the beginning were taken from the original SEED series, like his meeting with Cagalli, written in his point of view. They're supposed to be like journal entries. I thought I would make a really long chapter to make up for the fact that I haven't updated in awhile. Over 3,000 words, which is about quadruple my usual chapter length XD Hope you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW!

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/11**


	24. Uh oh!

**Chapter 24: Uh oh!**

The clock was ticking ever so quickly, or so it felt like. Everyone was making final touches to their makeup, hair, and outfits. All five girls were in their soft pink bridesmaid dresses upon Cagalli's return, and not one had a single complaint.

"Cagalli, these are absolutely gorgeous!" said Stellar as she twirled around.

"They are," said Flay, also giving a twirl.

"Thanks, Cagalli!" said Miriallia. She nonchalantly threw her arms around the blonde girl. Fearing her reaction, she let go quickly. She knew that Cagalli wasn't a huge fan of hugs.

"You're welcome," said Cagalli as she hugged her back. Miriallia was surprised. The wedding day put Cagalli in a generally good mood. She was actually accepting hugs.

Flay looked in the mirror and saw how the rose fabric clung to her body perfectly. She was amazed. Cagalli was undoubtedly a talented seamstress. This dress was better made than most of the fancy, expensive dresses Flay's parents had bought for her when she was younger. She turned to face Cagalli. "I didn't know you made clothes."

"What else can you do when you're out in the desert?" asked Cagalli with a smile. "It's not like you can go straight to the nearest mall and find your size."

"I guess you're right," said Flay, also smiling. The clock tolled loudly. It was noon already.

"Cagalli, we need to get you in your dress!" said Meer excitedly.

"Yeah," beamed Lacus. "Not much longer until the wedding."

"And we need to touch up your mascara a little," said Stellar as she picked up the brush. "Don't rub at your eyes this time."

"I'll try," said Cagalli. Though, admittedly, makeup wasn't her forte and she could guarantee it would be smudged again before the wedding.

Lacus walked over to the large closet and opened the doors. She glanced at the back of the rack. Cagalli's red shirts, cargo pants, and ORB military uniforms were hung neatly on hangers in their proper places. No wedding dress was to be found. Her eyes grew wide. She said nothing to Cagalli, fearing she would go ballistic. She closed the doors quickly, unintentionally drawing attention to herself.

"Something wrong, Lacus?" asked Cagalli, confused.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Lacus, waving her hands in the air innocently. She attempted to smile. "I'll be back in a minute." She dashed out of the room quickly.

"I wonder what's up with her?" asked Stellar.

"Who knows," said Cagalli. Stellar shrugged and came back at Cagalli with the mascara.

Lacus walked hurriedly down the hallway. _"What could have happened to Cagalli's dress?"_ she thought to herself. Amidst her thoughts, she ran into Kira. His icy amethyst eyes stared down at her happily as he caught her with his arm.

"Lacus?" he asked with a smile. He hugged her.

"Kira!" she smiled. She hugged him back.

"She's usually very graceful…" Kira thought to himself as he stared down at her. "It's not like her to not watch where she's going...Something has to be wrong."

"Something on your mind?" asked Kira. Lacus looked away. "What's wrong?"

"Do you, by any chance, know what happened to Cagalli's dress?" she asked.

"No," answered Kira. He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Should I?"

"It's missing," explained Lacus. "It's not in the closet where we put it."

"Well, since Lacus isn't here, I can help you get into your dress, Cagalli," offered Miriallia. Cagalli smiled and gave a nod. She walked over to the closet and opened the doors as Lacus had done only minutes earlier. She glanced around the interior and noticed the dress wasn't there. _"This must have been why Lacus got all jumpy,"_ Miriallia thought to herself.

"What is it?" asked Cagalli.

"That's funny," said Miriallia as she leafed through other items of Cagalli's clothing. "Your dress isn't in here."

"Missing?" repeated Kira, wide-eyed. "Great, on the day I promised her everything would go as planned…" he thought to himself. He regained composure. "Does Cagalli know?"

Cagalli's voice boomed down the hallway. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY DRESS ISN'T HERE?" Lacus and Kira could hear random profanities spilling through the door.

"I'm guessing she does now…" said Lacus, defeated.

"You guys are sure that's exactly where you put it?" asked Kira. "Maybe you just accidentally moved it somewhere else."

"I'm positive that's where it was, Kira," explained Lacus. She placed her head in her hands. "I really hope we find it. This is supposed to be Cagalli's special day..."

"Yeah, we might have to take her to the hospital of a heart attack instead of the church for a marriage," joked Kira lightly. He flashed his usual smile. "Joking. But I promise, everything will work out. I'll help you look."

Lacus could never understand how he could be so calm in such situations, but it definitely was nice to have someone so levelheaded about things. Lacus laced her fingers through his and they began searching for the missing dress.

Author's Note: Ooh, look, an update (insert a bunch of surprised gasps here)! A fast update! I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. I added another twist to the story…Cagalli's dress has gone missing! Where is it? Nobody knows (grins evilly). Please, please, please review. As a writer, it's really a confidence booster to hear what my readers think of my work, what they think I can change, and what ideas they have for the story. I love feedback. So do me a favor and **REVIEW** when you're finished =) It would be greatly appreciated.

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/11**


	25. The Search For the Missing Dress

**Chapter 25: The Search for the Missing Dress**

Lacus and Kira walked hand-in-hand back into Cagalli's bedroom, finding the distressed little bride in a huff.

"Where the HELL is my dress?" she yelled. She was so angry that she was almost in tears. She walked up to Kira and pressed her index finger hard against his chest.

"You promised me nothing would go wrong, Yamato!" she shouted. She forcefully wrapped her hands around his throat, choking him. "And look what's happening!"

"Cagalli!" he said through brief gasps of air. "Everything will be fine, I promise! I'll help you look for it! We'll find it. It's your special day, after all."

"You mean that?" she asked. Her anger lifted slightly.

"Of course I do," he said truthfully. He could feel his face turning purple. "Can you let go of my neck now?"

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, instantly dropping her hands from the chokehold. She blushed, embarrassed.

"Okay," said Kira, thankful to be breathing again. "Where was the last place you put it?"

"In the closet," said Lacus, sure of her answer. "Meer and I hung it up after it was altered."

"Yeah," said Meer, agreeing. "Right in the back of the closet." Kira walked over to the large closet and opened the doors. He rifled through the ORB uniforms, the cargo pants and the red shirts until he reached the back. As the girls had said, there was not a wedding dress in sight. Kira came out of the closet and closed the doors. (Author's Note: Wow, I seriously laughed out loud when I typed that XD).

"You're right, it's not in there," said Kira. Cagalli was frustrated.

"Of course it's not, Kira! If it was, I'd be in it by now!"

"Cagalli, calm yourself," said Lacus, placing her hands gently on Cagalli's shoulders. "Getting upset won't solve anything." Cagalli breathed heavily.

"I know…" she replied. She turned to Kira. She felt bad for yelling at him. He was undeserving of her frustrations. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," he said. He flashed his usual smile. "I know the wedding's got you all emotional, and the fact your dress is missing doesn't help it, but we're going to find it." Cagalli gave a small, hopeful smile. She believed him.

"Maybe Athrun knows where it is," suggested Kira.

"No," answered Flay. "The groom never sees the bride's dress before the wedding. It couldn't have been him."

"She has a point there," said Cagalli. She rested her head in her hands. "If we don't find this dress, I swear, I'll…I'll…" She paused as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her anger seemed like it was hand wired to her tear ducts nowadays. "I don't know what I'll do." Lacus massaged Cagalli's shoulders gently.

"How about your closet, Lacus?" asked Kira. "Did you check there?"

"No, we didn't," said Lacus. "That's a good idea." Meer walked over to Lacus's closet and peered inside. A ton of fancy dresses filled the inside. Lacus was always very fashionable and elegant. Meer pulled out a dress from the very back that resembled a wedding dress and showed it to the company.

"Is this it?" she asked. It was undoubtedly a gorgeous gown. Snow white with ribbons attached. Though, as pretty as it was, it wasn't Cagalli's dress.

"No, that's not it," said Lacus. Cagalli hung her head.

"Did you see any other dresses in there that might have been Cagalli's?" asked Kira.

"No," replied Meer. The girls were starting to get panicky, though Kira maintained his calm nature.

"Well, maybe if we split up, we'll have more luck that way," said Kira. "I'll search the downstairs. Lacus, you search the foyer. Meer, you search the living room, Flay, you look in here some more, and Stellar…?" He looked around. "Where is she?"

"I don't know," said Lacus. "She was here awhile ago."

"We can't worry about it now, we have to find this dress," said Kira. "Let's move-?"

"Hi guys," said Stellar as she walked in. She had a giant bag in her hands. She glanced around the room at everyone's frustrated, confused expressions. "Did I miss something? You guys all look like you're going through evasive maneuvers or something…"

"Stellar, what is that in your hands?" asked Cagalli as calmly as she could muster.

"It's your wedding dress, silly," she said with a smile. "We did you a favor and had it cleaned." She ignored the fact Cagalli was ready to go ballistic. "No need to thank me now." Cagalli kept her fists clenched and tried to keep her cool. Kira rubbed his temples with his index fingers.

"We should've known it was something like that…" said Kira. Lacus nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's no big deal now," said Miriallia, trying to calm Cagalli down. She smiled. "All that matters is that your dress is back, and you need to get into it, or Athrun's going to wonder why his bride is wearing cargos." Cagalli agreed.

"See, everything did work out," Kira told her as he hugged her. She hugged him back.

"Yeah, I guess…" she answered. He patted her cheek lightly.

"Time for the bride to get ready," he smiled. He kissed her on the forehead before making his way to the door. "I'll see you at the wedding, little sister." He shut the door behind him.

Cagalli took in a breath of relief. "There's nothing worse that could possibly happen…" she thought to herself. "Maybe things will start going right for a change…" Stellar pulled the beautiful dress out of the bag and handed it to Lacus. Lacus shot Cagalli a grin.

"You're going to look beautiful," she said.

**Author's Note: **ANOTHER UPDATE. IN THE SAME WEEK! It must be a record or something. So yeah, Stellar had the dress. More will be up soon. PLEASE REVIEW =)

**This Chapter Updated 6/8/11**


	26. At the Beginning

**Chapter 26: At the Beginning **

After the dress fiasco and hours of preparation from both the bride and groom parties, it was nearly time for the long awaited ceremony to begin. Outside the beautiful, snow covered chapel stood a rarity: a nervous Athrun Zala. He shifted his weight anxiously from one foot to the other as he watched the chapel fill with people. He could feel himself already starting to get nervous.

"Calm down, Athrun!" said Shinn, as he gave the blue haired boy a forceful, friendly pat on the back. "You shouldn't be hyper at your own wedding, you know."

"I'm not hyper, I'm just..." stammered Athrun as he struggled to find the right phrasing to describe his emotions properly. "I'm just...well, this is a pretty big deal."

"Is someone getting cold feet?" questioned Dearka playfully. The other boys snickered at his remark.

"That's not it at all," replied Athrun firmly. "I've been waiting for this day for a very long time. I want everything to go perfectly."

"Awe, our little man's all grown up!" said Shinn as he pulled Athrun into a playful headlock.

"It just brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?" Nicol teased lightly.

Athrun tried his best to relax. Being nervous and anxious was so unlike him anyways. The stone chapel was decorated perfectly for a Christmas wedding. Garlands of evergreen and holly hung beautifully along the creme colored walls. Emerald candles glowed everywhere, sending their brilliant gold flickers of light throughout the sanctuary. The windows were garnished with soft lilies-of-the-valley bouquets. Through the panes, he could see snowflakes falling. He glanced toward the aisle. It was carpeted and candlelit, waiting for the bride, his bride, to walk delicately down it.

He couldn't wait either.

"Shinn, hold still," fussed Stellar. "Your hair is a mess. Let me fix it." Shinn made a rueful face, but allowed her to fix his hair with her hands.

"You look beautiful, you know," he smiled.

"And you look quite handsome yourself, dear," she responded with a smile and a motherly pat on the cheek before proceeding with her warnings. "Now, be sure to be on your best behavior, okay? You don't want to embarrass Athrun and Cagalli on their wedding day."

"I promise," he sighed.

"Good." She grinned at him and went to pick up her bouquet.

The pianist began playing the opening song, which signaled the start of the ceremony.

"Ready to go?" smiled Sai as he offered his arm to Flay.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied with a confident grin. She tucked her arm into Sai's. He was more muscular than she had realized. Strong. Strong enough to make even a sturdy girl like herself feel frail. He was quiet and stoic as he escorted her down the aisle, but she could feel the warmth of his body against hers. Flay beamed as she took her place.

Shinn and Stellar followed Flay and Sai. Shinn couldn't help but let a rare, genuine smile grace his face as he led Stellar down the aisle. Thoughts of his own possible marriage to an equally gorgeous blonde girl in the near future flooded his imagination and made a permanent grin stay plastered on his usually serious face as he and Stellar took their spots in the front.

Dearka felt Miriallia waver against him. "What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear.

"I'm nervous," she whimpered. He laced his fingers delicately through hers.

"Hey, it'll be all right," he reassured her. "This is for Athrun and Cagalli. You can do it for them, can't you?" She nodded wordlessly, then turned to him and smiled. He smiled back at her, squeezed her hand, and escorted her down the aisle. They were followed by Meer and Nicol, who followed suit and took their places in the front of the sanctuary.

"I've been so excited for this day!" squealed Lacus as she turned to Kira and hugged him. "Our best friends are getting married! Isn't it just a joyous occasion?"

"Indeed, it is," said Kira with a smile as he offered her his arm, which she took. "You know, this could be us someday," He winked at her.

"Oh, it could be," she winked back. They, like the others before them, walked down the aisle and took to their assigned places. Kira gave Athrun a friendly pat on the back before taking his spot beside him. Lacus, who was standing on stage, took a deep breath as the introduction to"At the Beginning" started. She looked at Kira, who shot her a comforting, encouraging smile. She kept her eyes on him as she sang the first line.

"We were strangers, starting out on a journey..."

Cagalli gave herself one final glance in the mirror as she heard Lacus's beautiful voice ring through the sanctuary and into the hallways. It was odd, but for the first time in her life, she actually felt as beautiful as she looked. It was a great feeling.

"Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through..."

"It's time, Cagalli!" said Murrue excitedly. "Come on." She handed the bride her bouquet.

"Thank you," said Cagalli. Mwu placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Now go out there and make Athrun a very happy man," he told her with a smile. Cagalli smiled back and nodded.

"Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you."

The doors to the sanctuary opened. Every head in attendance turned around to catch a glimpse of the bride. Athrun caught his breath.

The most beautiful little bride he had ever seen was standing in the doorway. She was petite and delicate in appearance, like a fragile china doll. Her blonde hair had been coaxed into silky curls that were tied back with soft emerald ribbons. A soft, elegant veil was held to her curls by a silver comb. Her white gown showed off her pale shoulders, and the bodice skimmed against her tiny waist. In her small hands she held a bouquet of deep red velvet roses with glossy green leaves, but it was her sweet face that caught everyone's attention. Her liquid, amber eyes shown brilliantly beneath her thick silky lashes. A soft blush was on her cheeks, and her lips were a bright shade of red, accented with a smile.

Everyone thought her beautiful, indeed, but no one thought her quite as beautiful as the young man waiting at the altar.

She kept her gaze locked on Athrun. He was beaming at her, his deep green eyes glowing. She had never seen him look so handsome, or so happy. Suddenly, as she studied him, she noticed something gold glinting at his neck. "He's wearing the locket," she thought to herself. "He's actually wearing the locket my mother gave me."

Athrun smiled at her as she approached.

"You look beautiful," he said softly. She smiled shyly at him and muttered a "thanks".

When Lacus's song came to an end, she approached her best friend and took the bouquet from her. Kira raised Cagalli's hand to his lips in a gentle brotherly kiss, then placed her hand in Athrun's. Cagalli smiled up at him, her eyes glowing.

The ceremony was about to begin.

**Author's Note**: So 4 years and 26 (27, including the final one) chapters later, I'm finally bringing this story to an end. The long awaited final chapter of the actual ceremony will be up tomorrow in the afternoon sometime. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story over the years and my (many) periods of hiatus (Sorry!), and anyone else who has read this story and supported my writing of it :D It has been very much appreciated! So, as said, the final chapter will be up tomorrow. Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the next-to-final chapter, and please, review!

Oh, and the lyrics to "At the Beginning" from Anastasia do not belong to me, just throwing that out there. Haha.


	27. Happily Ever After

**Chapter 27: Happily Ever After**

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony." The traditional words set a thrill up Cagalli's spine. Athrun's hand was strong and warm around hers. The minister beamed at the two of them. "If anyone wishes to speak against this marriage, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

There was a brief pause, then he continued.

"Who gives this young woman in marriage to this man?" asked the minister as he looked around the sanctuary.

Cagalli's eyes widened. "_I thought this wasn't going to be in the ceremony_," she thought. "_I don't have a family to-"_

Kira, Lacus, Shinn, Stellar, Dearka, Miriallia, Sai, Flay, Nicole, Meer, Mwu, and Murrue all stood up and said in unison, "We do."

Athrun squeezed Cagalli's hand tightly, smiling widely. She stared up at him. He nodded, as if to say, _"There's your whole family."_

"Athrun and Cagalli," said the minister. He signaled towards the candles in front of the pair. "These two separate candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families, and your separate pasts. I ask that each of you take a lit candle, and that together you light the center candle."

Athrun wrapped his arm around Cagalli's waist as they picked up the white candles from the table. The tips of the tapers met as the flames lit the wick of the center candle.

"The individual candles represent your lives before today," the minister continued. "Lighting the center candle shows that your two lives are now joined to one light, and to one life together." He paused. "And now, Athrun has something special for his bride."

Athrun let go of Cagalli as Kira handed him a guitar case. "I originally planned on playing this to Cagalli when I proposed to her, but I ended up playing the violin instead," he explained. He pulled the guitar out of its case, put the strap around his shoulder, and strummed a chord. "It turns out guitar wasn't as easy for me to pick up as I thought it would be." The sanctuary let out a laugh. He strummed another chord. "Oh yeah, and I'm going to be singing a song I wrote," he smiled. "So be nice, okay?" He began the introduction of the song, and then started to sing.

_"Take a look at the mountain stretching a mile high. Take a look at the ocean far as your eyes can see, and think of me, Take a look at the desert, do you feel like a grain of sand? I'm with you wherever; where you go is where I am."_

He looked up at Cagalli, who was watching him, wide-eyed and breathless. _"And I'm always thinking of you. _

"_Take a look around you. I'm spelling it out one by one. I love you more than the sun, and the stars that you taught how to shine, you are mine, and you shine for me too. I love you yesterday, and today, and tomorrow. I'll say it again, and again. I love you more."_

Cagalli could feel tears burning behind her eyes, though they weren't tears of sadness or pain, but rather, tears of sheer happiness. She was smiling more than she had ever smiled in her entire life. She was sure she looked like a complete idiot, but she didn't care. With this song, she realized how much Athrun truly loved her.

_"Just a face in the city, just a tear on a crowded street, but you are one in a million, and you belong to me. And I want you to know that I'm not letting go, even when you come undone. I love you more than the sun, and the stars that you taught how to shine, you are mine, and you shine for me too. I love you yesterday, and today, and tomorrow. I'll say it again and again. I love you more."_

The key changed, and Athrun was no longer singing for an audience. He was singing straight to Cagalli. She was the only one he cared about.

_" I love you more than the sun, and the stars that you taught how to shine. you are mine, and you shine for me too. I love you yesterday, and today, through the joy and the pain, I'll say it again and again. I love you more."_

He leaned in closer to the microphone, closer to Cagalli and looked into her eyes. The words he sang were only meant for her; she was the only who understood exactly what he meant.

_"And I see you. And I made you. And I love you more than you can imagine, more than you can fathom. I love you more than the sun, and you shine for me."_

The crowd burst into applause, but for Athrun, the best reward was the arms that wrapped around his neck, and the gentle kiss that was pressed on his cheek. Kira whistled.

"I love you," Cagalli whispered. Athrun kissed her softly on the forehead, and took her hand again.

"Do you, Athrun Zala, take this young woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, cherish, and protect, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Cagalli Yula Athha, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, cherish, and protect, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Kira and Lacus stepped up with the rings in their hands. "Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage," explained the minister. Athrun took the delicate gold band from Kira

.

"I, Athrun Zala, take thee,Cagalli Yula Athha, to be my wife." Athrun's voice was strong, but infinitely gentle. "You are my purpose in life. I am here to be your comforter. Come to me with your tears and hurts, and I will take them away. I am your protector. I will die for you, but more importantly, I will live for you. I am your best friend. I will always listen to you, and I will always love you. This ring is a symbol of how much you will be cherished in my life." He reverently kissed the small gold ring and slipped it onto Cagalli's finger.

"I, Cagalli Yula Athha, take thee, Athrun Zalai, to be my husband." Her voice held all the strength she was famous for. "You are the one I look to, the one I listen to, the one I love. You are the only one I will ever trust with my hopes, my dreams, and my fears. I will rely on you, and you will rely on me. Our hearts are united by our deep love for each other. We will always be together, in life and in death." Athrun felt a thrill go up his spine as Cagalli slid the ring around his finger. He caught her hands softly in his.

"You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one ring - and now you are holding one ring. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage. In every marriage, there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting." But you must be able to find a way to show the other that you truly, deeply, love them. If there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure," the minister smiled at them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

There was a pause.

"So?" said Kira "Kiss her already, Zala!"

Athrun cupped Cagalli's face in his hands. He bent his head, twining his fingers in Cagalli's soft blonde curls, and softly and sweetly stole her first kiss.

**Author's Note: **So, Athrun didn't really write that song, he took it from a man named Matthew West. It doesn't belong to me or him, the rights belong to their respective owners and such. Oh well! :D Yes, this chapter was rather mushy, but it _is _a wedding, right? I mean, that's kind of necessary!

So 4 years and 27 chapters later, this story is finally completed! Thank you to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I remember the promise I made about a honeymoon sequel early on, haha. If there's still any interest in me writing one of those, I suppose I could still do it :D Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful support! Please, leave a review and let me know what you think!

**This story completed on 6/9/2011**


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